WELCOME by the President of the European

Society of Ophthalmology

It is my pleasure to invite you to the next SOE

Congress  which  will  take  place  in  Vienna

between the 9th and 12th of June  2007  and

which will mark the  50th  anniversary  of the

founding of the European Society of Ophthalmology. We are delighted that our American sister organisation, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and our host, the Austrian Ophthalmological Society (ÖOG) have agreed to join us to make our Jubilee Congress a true Joint SOE / AAO / ÖOG meeting.

We hope that you will also enjoy debates on controversial topics and discussions specifically aimed at the younger ophthalmologist, all of which will add interest and, at times, fun to the packed scientific programme.

No SOE Congress would be complete without a great Social Programme, which traditionally reflects the flavour of the host city.

We are indebted to our Austrian colleagues for their advice and guidance: Vienna has so much to offer, catering to every taste with its musical, artistic and culinary traditions!

So, on behalf of the SOE Council and the Scientific Programme Committee, I welcome you to Vienna and thank you for helping us make the Jubilee 2007 Joint SOE Congress a memorable event and an exciting 50th Birthday celebration.

After all, SOE is your Society!

Zdenek J. Gregor
President of SOE
Chair of the Scientific Programme