Welcome Message from President, The College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong

Dear Colleagues & Friends,

On behalf of The College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong (COHK), it is my greatest pleasure to extend our warmest welcome to you to our 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium 2021 from 4 to 5 December 2021. This year, we are greatly honored to have two most distinguished keynote speakers, Dr. Sayan Basu from India and Prof. Norihiko Yokoi from Japan, to share their world-renowned clinical expertise on the theme of 'Dry Eyes and Ocular Surface Diseases'.

Let me take this opportunity to both congratulate and thank our 2021 Congress President, Dr. Emmy Li, our Scientific Secretaries led by Dr. Tommy Chan, and the whole Organizing Committee, for their dedicated commitment towards another Annual Scientific Meeting that promises to be spectacularly successful and rewarding.

It has been the tradition of COHK and The Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society (HKOS) to hold our conjoint Annual Scientific Meeting in December every year since 1989, with the aim of fostering the exchange of clinical expertise, the latest professional and scientific research , and perhaps most importantly, goodwill and friendship, amongst our member ophthalmologists in Hong Kong, and our professional friends from the surrounding region.

Throughout the years, we had the great privilege of hosting the World Ophthalmology Congress with over 13,000 delegates from all over the world in 2008, and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress with over 5,000 international delegates in 2018, and numerous other major international and regional ophthalmic congresses, in conjunction with our Annual Scientific Meetings.

Penning off, I wish all of you a most enjoyable and fruitful online experience at our second virtual Annual Scientific Meeting, and also a very safe and healthy 2022 ahead! Hopefully, we will be able to meet in person again in 2023.

Welcome Message from President of Hong Kong Ophthalmoloigcal Society

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On behalf of The Hong Kong Ophthalmoloigcal Society (HKOS), we give our greatest welcome to you all in joining our 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium 2021.

The HKOS is one of the oldest medical organisations in Hong Kong and certainly the oldest ophthalmological organisation consisting of more than 350 members. Since its establishment in 1954, the HKOS is committed to upholding a high professional standard of ophthalmic care and increasing public awareness of common and sight threatening eye diseases. It is also our mission to nurture the young generation of ophthalmologists to be the captain of the eye care team, leading and safeguarding the eye health of the people of Hong Kong.

This year, the theme of the Symposium is on dry eyes and ocular surface diseases, and we are honoured to have Dr Sayan Basu from India, and Prof Norihiko Yokoi from Japan as our Keynote Speakers. Although COVID is still around us and international travel is still not the way it used to be, we are fortunate to have an online platform organised by the Organising Committee, such that academic and knowledge exchange could still be carried out without barriers.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Organizing Committee for their untiring efforts and to all invited speakers for their enlightenments to this year symposium. We thank every delegate here for the kind presence in making this conference a possible and meaningful one.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Welcome Message from Chairlady, Organizing Committee, ASMHK 2021

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium, which will be held virtually on December 4-5, 2021.

Despite the challenges brought by COVID-19, our pursuit of knowledge and excellence in ophthalmic care prevail. We are fully committed to offer an inspiring and interactive scientific program, with an emphasis on "Dry Eyes and Ocular Surface Diseases". The pandemic has profoundly changed our everyday lives. Home confinement, work-from-home and E-learning have all led to increased "screen time". The combination of reduced frequency and intensity of blinks during "screen time" in turn increases the risk of inducing or exacerbating dry eye diseases.

This year, we are honored to have two distinguished Keynote speakers. Professor Norihiko Yokoi from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine will share his expertise on tear film dynamics and management of dry eyes, while Professor Sayan Basu from LV Prasad Eye Institute will enlighten us on corneal stem cell therapy and showcase the management of complex ocular surface diseases.

We sincerely hope that the ASM 2021 will continue to serve as an important platform for knowledge exchange, teaching and education, connection and collaboration amidst the pandemic. Looking forward to "seeing" you all online!