WELCOME MESSAGE My heartiest congratulations to the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) on the hosting of its 35th Annual Meeting in Singapore. As an ophthalmologist myself, I am delighted that a major ophthalmic conference is once again being held in Singapore. Much has changed in the world over the past three years. Many of us attended the 33rd APACRS Annual Meeting and SNEC 30th Anniversary meeting virtually in 2021. At that time, the world was still battling the COVID-19 pandemic with international travel curtailed and in-person meetings discouraged. Thankfully, we can now meet each other, hear each other and greet each other all in the flesh and in real-time. Our experience with COVID-19 is testament to what can be achieved when determination and innovation are applied on a global scale - with clinicians, scientists and researchers all sharing a common technological stack - to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and usher in a return to normalcy. In a similar vein, ophthalmology relies on constant professional exchange, collaborative research and sharing to ensure we deliver the best and most cost-effective care for our patients. The best way to achieve this is an in-person scientific meeting where the latest developments and opportunities for collaboration can be shared instantaneously and interactively. APACRS was founded by the late Professor Arthur Lim in 1987. He was an imaginative visionary with grand ambition, great generosity and an inspiring role model for so many of us. Arthur Lim instinctively understood the importance of continuing education, innovative research and a relentless pursuit of clinical excellence. He was passionate about teaching, and expressed his desire to apply and translate his skills, interests and networks into the rapidly expanding fields of ophthalmology. He conceived APACRS as a way to bring together the best teachers and clinicians in the world to exchange ideas and the latest techniques in cataract and refractive surgery in the Asia-Pacific. Past presidents Graham Barrett, Ronald Yeoh, Hiroko Bissen-Miyajima and Abhay Vasavada have built on this foundation for APACRS and turned it into a major event on the annual ophthalmic conference calendar. I am confident that APACRS will continue to grow from strength to strength and fulfil its mission of spearheading the educational needs of ophthalmologists in the Asia Pacific under the leadership of current president Yao Ke. I wish all participants a beneficial, educationally fulfilling and wonderful stay in Singapore! Dr Vivian BALAKRISHNAN Minister for Foreign Affairs Singapore Honorary Senior Consultant, Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) Ophthalmology relies on constant professional exchange, collaborative research and sharing to ensure we deliver the best and most cost-effective care for our patients. 03
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