At the 38th Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Council Meeting held on 22 February 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the joint Bidding Committee of the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society (HKOS) and the College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong (COHK) successfully bid to host the APAO 2026 Congress in Hong Kong.
The Associate Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr Jason CS YAM, who is the Convener of the Bidding Committee, said, ″We are very thankful to successfully bid to host the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress 2026 in Hong Kong. The APAO 2026 Congress will be a signature event in ophthalmology in Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific. We strongly believe that the APAO 2026 Congress will further promote international cooperation amongst ophthalmic professionals and enhance the advancement in academics and research.″
In addition, our professors have taken up various responsibilities in the Bidding Committee. Prof Clement CY THAM is the Advisor to the Bidding Committee, in his capacity as the President of COHK. Prof Guy LJ CHEN and Dr Kelvin KL CHONG oversee promotion and publicity, and the Submitted Scientific Program, respectively. Dr Poemen PM CHAN is also a member of the Bidding Committee.
Dr Yam is the incumbent Vice-President (External Affairs) of the Council of HKOS (2022-2023) and a Council member of COHK (2022-2023). Prof Tham is the President of COHK (2021-2023). Dr Chong is a Council member of COHK (2022-2023).
The APAO 2026 Congress will be the fifth APAO Congress held in Hong Kong after the preceding Congresses in 1983, 1995, 2008, and 2018. The APAO is the largest supranational ophthalmic organisation, comprising 25 national member societies and 11 subspecialty member societies in the Asia-Pacific region. Thousands of ophthalmic professionals from Asia-Pacific and worldwide will join the annual APAO Congress. It is a platform for in-depth discussions on preventing and treating eye diseases. The APAO Congress also promotes the exchange of frontier clinical and benchtop research findings in the ophthalmic discipline.
We look forward to the APAO 2026 Congress in Hong Kong.
APAO 2026 in Hong Kong – Bidding Committee
| Role | Professor / Doctor / Secretariat |
| Convener | Dr Jason CS YAM |
| Advisor | Prof Clement CY THAM Dr Ian YH WONG |
| Promotion and Publicity | Prof Guy LJ CHEN |
| Scientific Program – Invited Program | Dr Aziz KW KAM |
| Scientific Program – Submitted Program | Dr Kelvin KL CHONG |
| Sponsorship | Dr Lawrence IU |
| Members | Dr Poemen PM CHAN Dr Sunny AU Dr Alex NG Dr Kendrick SHIH Dr Emily WONG |
| Secretariat | HKOS Secretariat |
