The EMBL Course and Conference Office (CCO) exists to help deliver the teaching and training mission of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

As one of EMBL’s core missions, EMBL delivers advanced training to a variety of audiences. The CCO focuses on delivering a programme of academic conferences and practical training courses and conferences to the international life sciences community.

From 1974 to the early-1980s, EMBL’s training activities (courses, workshops and seminars) was mostly driven by individual staff members. A comprehensive list of these can be found in the EMBL Annual Reports from the period.

From the early-1980s, the delivery of training was consolidated. From 1983, Nelly van der Jagt works part-time on organizing the logistics of courses, a role taken over in 1987 by Maria Ittensohn. In 1989, the position of “Course and Workshop Secretary” is created, and it is filled by Ingeborg Fatscher. Throughout this period and until 1999, the “Course and Workshop Secretariat”, and later the “Courses Secretariat” is, hierarchically, an administrative department.

In 1984, the EMBO-sponsored “Yeast Genetics” course, taught by François Lacroute (Strasbourg) and Albert Hinnen (Basel) is the first course hosted at EMBL Heidelberg that is not run primarily by EMBL staff.

In July 1987, EMBL Council approves plans to build an auditorium and better teaching facilities at EMBL Heidelberg; in December 1988, the EMBL Operon is inaugurated.

In 1999, the “Conferences Office”, becomes part of the EMBL Photography Laboratory.

From 2004, training activities are reorganized at EMBL, and in 2006, the “Course and Conference Office” becomes part of the “External Training” arm of the EMBL International Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT) programme. From 2007 to 2016, Sally Böhm is the Head of Course and Conference Office. Geoffrey Barnett takes over this position.