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ICO Notes
Highlights of WOC 2010

June 2010

Dear ICO Members and Friends,

I am writing on behalf of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) to thank all those who contributed to making the 2010 World Ophthalmology Congress® (WOC) in Berlin an outstanding success.

1. WOC 2010 Was a Great Success

The 2010 World Ophthalmology Congress was by all measures a great success. Total registration was more than 13,000, including more than 10,000 ophthalmologists and other participants, and 2,400 exhibitors. 145 countries were represented. The scientific program was outstanding, thanks to 3,000 speakers in 600 scientific sessions.

Congratulations to Congress President Gerhard Lang, Scientific Program Committee Chair Steve Ryan, Program Director Gabriele Lang, and the professional team that organized the WOC. Special thanks to all of you who contributed to the scientific program or supported the Congress in other ways.

Berlin is truly a remarkable city and we were treated to the best in German hospitality. The WOC Opening Ceremony incorporated history, modernity and multi-media entertainment. A social highlight was WOCtoberfest, a Bavarian style celebration held at the historic Berlin Tempelhof Airport.

To view photos and images of the Congress, see http://www.woc2010.org/index.php?id=293.

2. The 2010 ICO General Assembly, A Look to the Future

At the ICO General Assembly in Berlin, we initiated a new strategic planning process for international ophthalmology and ICO. It was a wonderful gathering of ICO Members and by many accounts the most stimulating and participatory General Assembly in memory. 

We had an engaging discussion on the future of international ophthalmology and the ICO, strategic priorities for improving eye care and new horizons for ophthalmic education. ICO Representatives and members of the Board of Trustees formed small groups to discuss and give input on priorities for international ophthalmology, ICO programs and priorities, leadership and organizational development, and education.

During the business meeting that followed, the ICO officers and major program directors reported, and the voting representatives approved revisions in ICO Statutes and elected ICO Directors and Ordinary and Life Members of the Board of Trustees.

While it is fresh in your mind, I would be particularly grateful for your comments and suggestions about the things that went well and those things that might be improved for the General Assembly and WOC in 2012.  Please feel free to send your comments confidentially to me or to one of the Officers. 

Mark your calendars for the next ICO General Assembly February 16, 2012 in Abu Dhabi during WOC 2012.  

3. New Board and Advisory Committee Members, Officers Re-elected

I am very pleased to announce several new members of the ICO Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee.

Six new members were elected to the ICO Board at the General Assembly: Pinar Aydin, MD, Emilio Campos, MD, Daniel Kiage, MD, Xiaoxin Li, MD, Janos Nemeth, MD, and Eduardo Mayorga, MD, who will serve as the Director for E-Learning, an exciting, newly created position. Paul Lichter, MD, returns to the Board as President of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, and Tetsuro Oshika, MD, joins us as President of the 2014 WOC in Tokyo. The full list of ICO Board Members is available here: icoph.org/downloads/ICOBoardMembers2010-2012.pdf  (PDF – 79 KB).

Six new members have been added to the ICO Advisory Committee: Alaa El Danasoury, MD, Mohamad Elsada, MD, Santosh Honavar, MD, Ivo Kocur, MD, Charles McGhee, FRCOphth, PhD, and Thanh Hoang Xuan, MD. The full list of ICO Advisory Committee Members is at: icoph.org/downloads/ICOAdvisoryMembership2010-2012.pdf  (PDF – 76 KB).

I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for re-electing the current ICO Officers to a new four-year term: Vice President Akef El-Maghraby, MD; Secretary General Jean-Jacques De Laey, MD; Treasurer Hugh Taylor AC, MD; and myself as President. I appreciate the confidence the Board has shown in us and I look forward to continuing my work with the ICO.

I would also like to thank the retiring, current, and newly elected for their outstanding service and dedication to the ICO and to international ophthalmology. The ICO and our programs would not be possible without the work of these volunteers, and we greatly appreciate all that they contribute.

4. The WOC Moves to Guadalajara, Mexico in 2016

At its meeting in Berlin, the ICO Board of Trustees tentatively approved Guadalajara, Mexico as the site for the 2016 World Ophthalmology Congress® (WOC). Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico and the WOC the Mexican Society of Ophthalmology will be the host.

The selection of Guadalajara and the Mexican Society of Ophthalmology was made on a tentative basis. To increase continuity from one WOC to the next, the ICO will be playing a much greater role in planning and managing the WOCs. For this reason, the selection will only be confirmed once the ICO and the host have agreed on a set of “expectations” for the WOC.

I made a visit to Guadalajara just before the WOC in Berlin and am excited about meeting there in 2016. It is an appealing cultural city with excellent facilities and a great enthusiasm for the WOC. This will be the second time the Congress will be held in Mexico, with the first in Mexico City in 1970.

The 2012 World Ophthalmology Congress®, hosted by the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO), will be February 16 – 20, 2012 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. For more information, see http://www.woc2012.org. WOC 2014 will be April 2–6 in Tokyo, and WOC 2018 will be in Europe, with the ICO Board to decide on that host and city in 2012.

As I mentioned last month, the ICO Board of Trustees, Advisory Committee and many other committees met in Berlin. There is much to report and we will share more news with you in the coming months.

With warm regards,

Bruce

Bruce Spivey, MD, MS, MEd
President, International Council of Ophthalmology

945 Green Street
San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
Fax: (1-415) 409-8403
spivey@icoph.org
www.icoph.org