IFOS Notes:
Hong Kong Highlights for Society Leaders

Dear IFOS Members and Friends,

With just two months to go until the 2008 World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) in Hong Kong, the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) would appreciate any additional efforts you can make to encourage your members to attend. I expect it to be an outstanding Congress, and we want to make sure all ophthalmologists are aware of the excellent scientific program and other offerings.

We are finalizing agendas for a series of meetings that we anticipate will be of great interest to members of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) and the leaders of other ophthalmic organizations and educational institutions.

Please review the information below carefully and note the dates, times and locations for the meetings.

I look forward to seeing you in Hong Kong.

1. May 31 Deadline for Advance Registration for Hong Kong

Please let your members know that May 31 is the deadline for advance registration for the World Ophthalmology Congress, June 28 – July 2, in Hong Kong and encourage them to register and reserve accommodations as soon as possible.

More than 7600 ophthalmologists from 102 countries and territories have registered so far.

If you don’t already have a link (www.woc2008hongkong.org) to the Congress and other information on your Web site, I would encourage you to add it. You can download logos, presentations and other resources from www.woc2008hongkong.org/downloads.html.

For information on all of the symposia, scientific sessions and faculty, see www.woc2008hongkong.org/woc/index03_4.shtml.

Thank you for helping us to inform all ophthalmologists and others involved in eye care about the 2008 WOC in Hong Kong.

2. Join Us for ICO WORLD at 13:30 on June 27

Do you know about any exciting educational programs or particularly effective advocacy initiatives? Are you aware of resources to help ophthalmic leaders do a better job of training, continuing education, advocacy or developing their organizations?

To stimulate and facilitate sharing of such information among ophthalmologic leaders, the ICO has created a World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD). The third WORLD Roundtable is scheduled from 13:30 to 15:45 on June 27 in Room 401 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC). I would strongly encourage all leaders of IFOS member societies and other ophthalmic organizations to join the discussion.

The Roundtable in Hong Kong will concentrate on three areas:

• ophthalmic education
• advocacy
• leadership and organizational development.

For each, we will have a few speakers but the focus will be on asking you to talk about innovative programs in your countries and resources available to other ophthalmic leaders. We will also ask what the ICO can do to help you and your organizations be more effective.

3. IFOS General Assembly at 16:00 on June 27

The IFOS General Assembly will follow the WORLD Roundtable on June 27 from 16:00 to 17:30 in Room 601 of HKCEC. The General Assembly is mainly for the official Representatives from each IFOS member society, but other leaders of IFOS members and potential members are invited to observe.

Prior to the official business meeting, we will have a discussion on “Ophthalmology Residency Training: Content and Expectations.”

At the business meeting, IFOS Representatives will be asked to vote on proposed revised Statutes that would change the official name of the organization from the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO). If the Statutes are approved, IFOS members will become members of the ICO, and the current “Council” will become the ICO Board of Trustees.

The change is recommended to clear up the confusion that exists because the official name of the organization is IFOS, but it is best known as the ICO.

We recently sent a mailing to IFOS Representatives with the proposed Statutes and agenda for the General Assembly that you can review at: www.icoph.org/news/ifosreps0804.html.

You can download the list of IFOS Representatives for the 2008 WOCfrom: www.icoph.org/pdf/IFOSRepresentatives2008.pdf.

If you have not yet named your IFOS Representative, please do so right away and inform ICO Secretary General Jean-Jacques De Laey, MD, at mailto:jean.delaey@ugent.be. Please include an e-mail and postal/mailing address for the IFOS Representative.

We will send agenda books for the General Assembly to Representatives the first week in June.

4. IFOS Dues Notices Coming Soon

ICO Treasurer Yasuo Tano, MD, will send invoices for 2008 IFOS dues to member society treasurers and presidents within the next two weeks. Receipts for 2007 dues will be included.

We will ask societies to pay their 2008 dues by June 1, and societies must have paid dues in order for their Representative to participate in the IFOS General Assembly.

5. Advocacy Luncheon at 12:00 on June 27

In September, the ICO asked national ophthalmologic societies to name an “advocate” to work the ICO on efforts to increase support for ophthalmology and eye care. A luncheon and presentations for ICO Advocates is scheduled at noon on June 27, prior to the WORLD Roundtable.

For the original mailing we sent to societies, see: www.icoph.org/news/ifos0709.html.

The list of advocates can be downloaded from: www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOAdvocates.pdf.

If your society has not named an Advocate, please do so as soon as possible and let me know the name and e-mail address of the person or send it to advocacy@icoph.org. We will send the agenda for the luncheon and more specific information to the Advocates within the next few weeks and ask them to confirm their participation.

Some societies have asked their IFOS Representative to also serve as their Advocate, while others have named two different individuals.

6. First World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC) on June 28

I expect one of the highlights of the 2008 WOC to be the first-ever World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC 2008), which ICO Director for Education Mark Tso, MD, has organized for the full day of June 28. There will be more than 100 speakers in 18 symposia focused on enhancing all aspects of ophthalmic education around the world.

You can review the program at:
www.woc2008hongkong.org/woc/page03/Timetables/Real/WOEC.htm.

If you are involved in education in any way (which most of us are), please plan to participate in the WOEC 2008 on June 28 in Hong Kong.

7. Second World Forum for Non-Profits

The second WOC World Forum of Non Profit Organization in Vision and Prevention of Blindness will feature five symposia on June 28, 29 and 30 covering:

• Building Sustainable Programs in Developing Countries
• Educational Programs of Non-Profits
• Management of Human and Economic Resources
• Improving Quality of Life for the Visually Impaired
• Using the Internet and Technology to Extend Eye Care.

For more details and times, see:
www.woc2008hongkong.org/woc/page03/Timetables/Real/Blindness.htm.

Please let me know if you have any questions about these plans for Hong Kong.

With warm regards,

Bruce Spivey, MD
ICO President

945 Green Street
San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
(1-415) 409-8410
Fax: (1-415) 409-8403
spivey@icoph.org
www.icoph.org