ESCRS contributes to ophthalmic education

The first ESCRS Winter Meeting I attended was in Athens, Greece, in 1999 when I was still a fellow, and I accompanied my mentor, the late Joseph Colin. Since then, I have not missed a Winter Meeting. In the early years, the content of the Winter Meeting was limited to exchanging presentations in free paper and printed poster format, and basic courses on emerging techniques. We were starting the wonderful adventure of refractive surgery, which had justified the birth of our Society. One only has to look at today’s programme to see the progress that has been made. The programme now includes symposia, Cornea Day, didactic courses and a Young Ophthalmologists Programme. More recently, the introduction of the Poster Village and ePosters has added a new dimension to the Meeting. EMERGING COUNTRIES The Winter Meeting is very important, as in recent years it has been held in countries where ophthalmologists cannot easily access the main ESCRS Congresses. This has allowed us to forge links with many of the emerging countries in Europe, working closely with their host national societies. Through these exchanges, ESCRS contributes to ophthalmic education all over Europe. This is my first Winter Meeting as ESCRS president. To be elected president of ESCRS is a great honour, but it is also a great responsibility. I am following in the footsteps of the prestigious presidents who preceded me and it is my duty to ensure the continuation of the successful development of this outstanding Society. My primary objective as President will be to continue to integrate modern tools into our communication with our members, to maintain our ties of openness to the world of ophthalmology and to foster the integration of young ophthalmologists into our Society to guarantee its future. I must also note that I am honoured to be starting my presidential term in Belgrade. This is the first time that the ESCRS has convened a meeting in Serbia and it is fitting that we are meeting in one of the great historic cities of Europe. I would also like to give special thanks to the President of the Serbian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (SSCRS), Professor Branislav Đurović, for his invitation to Belgrade and for his hospitality. I must also thank Dr Sava Barisic, our young ophthalmologist representative from Serbia, for all his efforts and energy in helping us to organise and promote the Meeting. The ESCRS is very grateful for the support of all the members of the SSCRS and I hope that they will enjoy a very successful meeting.

Tags: Belgrade 2018