Professor Wen-shiang Chen and Professor Reynaldo Rey-Matias
The 7th Asia-Oceanian Conference of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine (AOCPRM 2020), in conjunction with the 34th Annual Congress of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (KARM), was successfully held between July 17 -18, 2020, at the Swiss Grand Hotel Seoul, Korea.
The event, comprising more than 800 delegates, was originally planned to be held in Jeju, South Korea, in April this year, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hybrid conference (virtual and on site) attracted a plethora of Korean and international delegates.
Held biannually since 2008, AOCPRM is one of the most highly acclaimed conferences in the field of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. Under the theme “Innovative Rehabilitation in Asia Oceania”, the diverse disciplines of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine from the present to the future, were showcased. Distinguished speakers, professionals and researchers from various countries presented their latest findings, from ongoing and completed clinical trials. The plenary lectures included “Rehabilitation Robot for Disabled”, “Geriatric Rehabilitation for Frailty and Sarcopenia” and “Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action”. There were 14 Parallel sessions featuring different, exciting topics in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The conference coincided with the Asian Oceanian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (AOSPRM) board meeting and concluded with the commencement of the term for Professor Reynaldo Rey-Matias from the Philippines as the organisation’s new President, Professor Jianan Li from China as the President-elect, Professor Wen-shiang Chen from Taiwan as Vice President, and Professor Yoon Ghil Park from Korea as Secretary. Immediate Past President, Professor Angela Tulaar, Indonesia, concluded the conference by announcing the AOCPRM in 2022 would be held in Chengdu, China.
We are so proud of the conference organisers, Professor Moon Suk Bang and Hee Sang Kim for making the conference a reality, despite the monumental odds presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The variety of unique and engaging social programs enabled us to learn and collaborate, even in such a challenging situation.
