The Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (KSGE) has organized the world’s fifth gastrointestinal endoscopy conference, following World Endoscopy Organization (WEO), American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES).

Professor Jeon Hoon-jae of Korea University College of Medicine (seated at center), also vice chairman of International Digestive Endoscopy Network (IDEN), hold a news conference at a restaurant in Seoul Thursday.

KSGE announced the establishment of the International Digestive Endoscopy Network (IDEN) and its plans to hold the network’s first meeting this year, in a recent news conference.

KSGE played a pivotal role in the establishment of IDEN in January. KSGE has been discussing internationalization projects to overcome limitations of national academic conferences and to enhance the international status of Korea’s digestive endoscopy through its globalization.

It is meaningful that the internationalization movement will take its first step in Korea, and not in China or Japan, at a time where the activities of the international society of gastrointestinal endoscopy have been sluggish in Asia. So far, North American conference has been led by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, while European Endoscopy Society has driven its European counterpart since 2018.

According to the KSGE, national endoscopic societies from Mongolia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, and Indonesia have announced their intention to participate in the IDEN project, and the association is also in contact with Saudi Arabia.

IDEN now has 139 members from 18 countries --Nepal (five), Taiwan (three), Russia (six), Malaysia (five), Mongolia (20), U.S. (one), Myanmar (three), Bangladesh (12), Pakistan (one), Philippines (12), Turkey (10), Thailand (25), China (four), Vietnam (14), Uzbekistan (two).

“In the future, IDEN will act as a practical international conference based on Asian networking,” IDEN Vice Chairman and Professor at Korea University College of Medicine Jeon Hoon-jae said. “Interest and support from the government and many endoscopists will further help the establishment of a leading international endoscopy conference."

The association plans to hold “IDEN 2019” at the Grand Hilton Seoul and Songdo Olympus Center from June 13-16, as the first project of IDEN.

The association expects that about 1,000 participants from 30 countries will attend IDEN 2019, while clinical and basic researchers who are leading the global gastrointestinal endoscopy field will participate in its programs, composed of 100 invited lectures and 30 sessions on various topics in the areas of upper, lower and pancreatic cancer.

The conference will also organize nurses' sessions, case presentations, discussions and live demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and other diverse programs to expand the scope of digestive endoscopy.

Notably, Japanese Professors Kazuki Sumiyama and Yuichi Mori, who are experts in using artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, have been invited to give lectures on the “application of artificial intelligence in gastrointestinal endoscopy” and “determination of treatment policy of polyps using computers.”

Korean lecturers will also present a lecture on the endoscopic development of digestive endoscope in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, titled “Future advanced technology of gastrointestinal endoscopy: a pioneer of robot endoscopy."

Also, the association expects that IDEN 2019 will be a venue for exchange and cooperation on research results and technology among experts from all over the world.

The conference will also present a joint session made by KSGE, WEO, ESGE, and JGES, and Asian network sessions attended by lecturers from various countries of

The Asian Young Endoscopist Award (AYEA) program, which gives young and competent gastroenterologists from Asia a chance to train as a gastroenterologist in Korea, will also be available.

Over the last four years, more than 130 foreign doctors have learned Korean endoscopic techniques. Last year, 48 young digestive endoscopists from 17 countries, including India, Mongolia, Vietnam, Turkey, Russia, and the Philippines, participated.

“IDEN is a conference that can promote the development of digestive endoscopy in Korea, and contribute to the development of global gastroenterology by working on joint research and cooperation,” Jeon said. “Through the successful hosting of this competition, we will make a network of IDEN experts joined by local and international experts while giving Korea an opportunity to lead the digestive endoscope field.”

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