Power-packed brainstorming sessions, seminars, workshops on Optometry, mark ASCON 2019
ASCON 2019, the first international conference hosted by Associations of Schools and Colleges of Optometry India; was declared open at Chitkara University, Punjab campus; on June 22–23, 2019; with over 600 participants from all over India – Students, Faculty, Academicians and Industrialist; joining in for brainstorming sessions, deliberations, seminars & workshops on latest trends and challenges in Optometry. The event was sponsored by Alcon, Silverline, Tattvam Vision Care, Cooper Vision, Binovi, Bausch and Lomb, Nerapy, Essilor and Remedio.
Dr Jatinder Kansal, Director (finance), Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC); presided as the Chief Guest, along with other prominent dignitaries, at the inaugural ceremony. The highlights of the conference included interactive educational sessions on Myopia Control, the latest technological updates in Optometry, and emerging trends in Optometry and excelling in entrepreneurship in Optometry. The event provided an excellent platform for the participants from all over the globe to interact with national and international expert speakers in their respective fields, improve their area of excellence, practice and patient management. Participants are also free to share their thoughts and views regarding their area of interest followed by an educational Quiz. Workshops on specialities of Optometry like Vision therapy, Contact lenses, Low vision, Paediatrics, Prosthesis, Dispensing, Research methodology, among others, were also held complete with hands-on sessions and live demo by experts. The event concluded with a valedictory and closing ceremony.
Next, OCULUS National Dissemination Workshop, an exclusive 2-Day meet for the educators of Optometry in India disseminated by OCULUS (Optometry Curriculum for lifelong learning through Erasmus) was held on June 24-25, 2019. The progress of Erasmus+ project OCULUS were presented in the National conference open to practising optometrists and optometry Higher Educational Institutions. Workshops for practising optometrists in outputs of OCULUS as well as workshops for optometry HEI staff to coach them through the process of accreditation were held.
The Erasmus+ project OCULUS – ‘Optometry Curriculum for Lifelong Learning through Erasmus’ is an ambitious project with the aim to lift the optometric education in India and Israel to European accreditation standards. The project is a collaboration between educators from optometry schools in Norway, UK, Spain, India and Israel, with the support of global optometry governing and education bodies. The project is in its final year now, and a lot of progress has been made to optimize the optometry education in India towards European accreditation standards. Furthermore, it is expected that the project will exceed the standard by the creation of educational resources for evidence-based optometry (finished) and online tools for lifelong learning (under development).
