ISDS Report Alessandro Fichera, President ISDS
Dear colleagues and friends, This is my first report as ISDS President and I must recognize and thank Professor Hiroyuki Konno, the immediate ISDS Past President for his leadership during the past two years. I have learnt a lot from his elegant and always tactful style. He left very big shoes to fill. He will remain active both in ISDS as the immediate Past President as well as in ISS/SIC as a Councilor on the Council. The World Congress of Surgery in Krakow has been a great success in terms of the participation both local as well as international of young and more seasoned colleagues, scientific value and cultural and social growth opportunities. We discovered the warm hospitality of the Polish
people and the rich history and culture Poland has to offer. The Local Organizing Committee did a fantastic job in putting together a spectacular Social Program. We all went home feeling rewarded, enriched and grateful for the experience. This meeting strongly represented the core values of ISDS: Scientific discovery, mentorship of young surgeons and networking opportunities. This was also a bittersweet Congress as we celebrated the life of a Surgical Giant, Professor Masaki Kitajima, that suddenly passed away on May 20, 2019. During the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Collegium Internationale Chirurgiae Digestivae (CICD), now ISDS as an offshoot to the SociĂŠtĂŠ Internationale de Chirurgie now the International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC), Professors Konno, Young-Fadok and Montori gave touching and warm talks commemorating the contribution of Professor Kitajima to ISDS. He will be sorely missed. As we remember our predecessors and we walk in their footsteps the life of the Society continues to evolve. We are already
planning and organizing the International Surgical Week 2021 - the World's Congress of Surgery - the 49 th Congress of the International Society of Surgery (ISS/ SIC) that will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 29-September 2, 2021. We have several new ideas, such as funding two positions for international travelling scholars to the 2021 Congress specifically for low-mid income countries and having pre congress hands on courses in Malaysia covering basic surgical principals geared towards surgery residents and young surgeons. We have in fact assembled a very diverse Executive Committee to oversee all these activities and the organization of the Congress. Please go to our website at https://www.cicd-isds.org/about-us to learn more about this very energetic and diverse group and please consider actively participating in the activity of the society leading to the 2021 Congress. Sincerely Alessandro Fichera President ISDS
The Krakow Night at the historic Old Tram Depot
November 2019
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