Is WCN’20 taking place?

Given ISN’s responsibility toward the safety and health of the global community, WCN’20 will not take place in March 2020.

We have been working with UAE local authorities and are following instructions from the health authority of the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC). The ADPHC informed all its local stakeholders, including EMAN (local host society and partner), by circular (ADPHC-DG/C/06/2020 Novel Coronavirus Circular (COVID-19) 3 March 2020) urging cancelation of all events in March 2020 and in the two months beyond. On March 13, the Abu Dhabi Departure of Culture and Tourism (DCT) has issued Circular No. 12/2020 banning all events until 31 March.

This is not a decision made easily or without due consideration of many factors; however, it is the right decision because it is in the best interest of everyone.

Is WCN’20 rescheduled?

Considering the extended planning period and the number of stakeholders involved in each annual WCN, a rescheduled WCN’20 in its full format is currently not planned. ISN is working to identify opportunities to bring congress content to you via different platforms. Further details will be published in due course.

Should refunds be expected for registration fees paid?

As per the WCN’20 registration terms and conditions, where circumstances oblige the organizers to cancel WCN in part or whole, the liability of the organizers is limited to a refund of registration fees paid in part or whole. The ISN has worked on a procedure for the refund of registration fees. ISN offers the option to use registration fees paid towards your registration for the next scheduled World Congress of Nephrology from April 15-18, 2021 in Montreal, Canada.*

Alternatively, you have the option for a full refund for the registration fees paid. Kindly note that the process for refunds will take up to 3 months.**

he WCN registration team has contacted you to request your preferred refund option. Please avoid contacting the registration team with queries about the status of the refund while these are being processed.

The organizers of ISN’s World Congress of Nephrology cannot be held liable by participants for any damages, costs, or losses incurred, such as transportation and accommodation costs, financial losses, or any other miscellaneous expenses.

For all delegates who cancelled their participation on or before February 24, 2020, a partial refund has already been processed and no further refund will be applied.

*by transferring your registration to WCN’21, you automatically agree to the WCN’21 registration terms & conditions. If you need to cancel your participation, the WCN’21 conditions apply. If your paid WCN’20 registration included two pre-congress days, you will be refunded the fees paid for one WCN’20 pre-congress day as per the WCN’21 program format.

**ISN will only refund you amounts paid/received. For delegates who selected the WCN + 1 year ISN membership fee, WCN organizers will refund the registration part of this category. The membership fees (if paid) and consequent membership benefits will remain valid. The full refund option is not available for any participants who canceled their participation before February 24, 2020 for which WCN organizers have already provided a partial refund.

Should refunds be expected for travel expenses paid?

As per the WCN’20 registration terms and conditions, ISN is not responsible for reimbursement of hotel and travel expenses. The ISN urges all delegates to contact the relevant companies directly to request a refund. Many airline carriers have policies in place regarding the COVID-19 virus and its impact on travel. Please check with your airline carrier about its ticketing policy.

Should refunds be expected for accommodation expenses paid?

As per the WCN’20 registration terms and conditions, ISN is not responsible for reimbursement of hotel and travel expenses. The ISN urges all delegates to contact the relevant companies directly.

• If you booked your stay via our appointed partner, MCI Middle East, we have negotiated that all reservations will be refunded. You will receive notification via email on the reimbursement process, but please contact MCI via email (WCN2020AbuDhabi@mci-group.com) for any queries.
• If you booked your stay independently (not with our appointed partner), please contact the hotel directly to cancel your reservation as soon as possible and to claim reimbursement.

Where can I get an official document to claim a refund from a hotel or airline?

Please download ISN’s official statement here. The official circular issued by the UAE department of health (ADPHC-DG/C/06/2020 Novel Coronavirus Circular (COVID-19) 3 March 2020) can be downloaded from their website. The official Circular No. 12/2020 banning all events issued by the Department of Culture and Tourism can be downloaded here.

I am a WCN’20 Invited Speaker and have already made my travel arrangements; which policy applies?

An email has been sent to all invited speakers. If you have not received this email, please contact the ISN team by email (registration@wcn2020.org). ISN urges all speakers to contact the booked airline to request a refund. We will cancel any accommodation we have made on your behalf, including any extra nights you had requested. No action is required by you. Many airline carriers have policies in place regarding the COVID-19 virus and its impact on travel. Please check with your airline carrier about its ticketing policy.

I am a WCN’20 Travel Grantee and have already made my travel arrangements; which policy applies?

WCN Travel Grant Program:
An email has been sent to all WCN Travel Grant awardees. If you have not received this email, please contact the ISN team. ISN urges all grantees to contact airlines and hotels directly to request a refund. Many airline carriers have policies in place regarding the COVID-19 virus and its impact on travel. Please check with your airline carrier about its ticketing policy.

Indian SN -ISN Travel Grant Program:
Please contact the Indian Society of Nephrology for all inquiries.

Joint DCT- ISN Grant Program:
DCT will take care of accommodation cancelation. We urge all grantees to contact airlines to request a refund.

Are ISN Committee Meetings associated with WCN’20 still taking place?

ISN is working to reschedule committee meetings to take place at a future date, either by conference call or in person.

Are satellite meetings associated with WCN’20 still taking place?

Scheduled satellite activities will not take place.

Will any congress content be made available?

Congress abstracts have been published, and ISN is preparing to deliver specific WCN’20 content to you via its eLearning platform, the ISN Academy. To not miss out, we recommend you to keep an eye out for our communications on this matter and check the ISN webpages regularly for updates.

Will my abstract still be published?

All accepted abstracts are published in Kidney International Reports, available here. Abstracts will also be made available for viewing on the congress app available in March.