13/12/2025
NEWSLETTER
December 2025
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SURGEONS, GASTROENTEROLOGISTS & ONCOLOGISTS
In this issue:
A Happy, Peaceful, Healthy, Prosperous, and Productive 2026 to all!
As another eventful year draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all IASGO members and supporters for your tireless efforts, dedication, and camaraderie. For more than 35 years, your creativity and unwavering commitment to our mission have driven our progress—and once again, in 2025, you helped advance our shared goals in remarkable ways.
Professor Aleksandar Karamarković is energetically performing his role as IASGO President. Under his inspiring leadership, the 36th World Congress of IASGO in Belgrade, Serbia, emerged as a highly successful and truly premier scientific event. We thank him for his exceptional service and congratulate him on this outstanding achievement.
During the Belgrade Congress, the IASGO Executive Committee unanimously approved Busan, Korea, as the host city for the 37th World Congress of IASGO. We are delighted to share that Professors Ho-Seong Han and Si Young Song will serve as Honorary Presidents, while Professors Sang-Uk Han and Saun Ja Park will lead as Congress Presidents. We eagerly look forward to gathering in Busan in September 2026. Moreover, with unanimous agreement of the IASGO leadership, including the President, Secretary Generals, and Treasurer, Professor Si Young Song will serve as the President-Elect of IASGO for 2026. For updates, please visit the congress website at https://www.iasgokorea.org/ .
In addition, the IASGO Executive Committee unanimously approved Napoli, Italy, as the host city for the 38th World Congress of IASGO in 2027, under the Presidency of Professor Roberto Troisi.
This year also marked another exciting milestone: the introduction of the 2025 Class of IASGO Fellows. Established in 2023, the IASGO College of Fellows aims to further elevate our mission of improving global medical care through the dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge and best practices. IASGO Fellows (FASGO) are distinguished medical professionals, scientists, and advocates who meet rigorous academic and clinical standards. We encourage all eligible members to consider applying for the 2026 FASGO class.
IASGO continues to expand its impact worldwide, and our educational initiatives have been truly impressive. In 2025, we organized more than a dozen symposia and postgraduate courses across the globe—including in Seoul, Boston, Las Vegas, Iasi, Ashgabat, Cairo, Lyon, Bangkok and Jaipur. We extend our deepest appreciation to all meeting chairs, directors, and organizers whose dedicated efforts brought these programs to life.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are thrilled to spotlight several major events: the IASGO-CME Advanced PGC in Hokkaido (February), the 10th Anniversary IASGO Egypt Chapter Symposium in Cairo (November), and exciting partnerships with the Seoul International Symposium of Surgical Oncology 2026 (February), Peruvian Society of Surgery International Congress 2026 in Lima (March), IHPBA 2026 in Singapore (October), and the 6th Jaipur Surgical Festival (December). Stay connected through https://iasgo.net/ and our newsletters for the latest announcements.
We are also excited to share that the IASGO Academy is taking shape, guided by the vision and leadership of Vice President Irinel Popescu. Please visit https://www.academy.iasgo.com/ for details. We encourage all members to engage with and contribute to this significant initiative as it continues to grow in 2026.
Our editorial efforts have likewise made tremendous strides. The IASGO Textbook of Multi-Disciplinary Management of Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases, edited by Professors Ming-Tsan Lin, Giovanni De Manzoni, Kazutaka Obama, Ali Guner, Kyoichi Takaori, and Dan G. Duda, is being published by Springer-Nature. Meanwhile, our official journal, Surgery, Gastroenterology and Oncology, continues to rise in stature under the leadership of our new Editor-in-Chief, Professor Timothy Pawlik. With the continued support of our community, we are confident it will achieve broader indexation and even greater scientific impact in the years ahead.
As we look forward to the opportunities of 2026, we are excited to continue working with all of you to make the coming year exceptional for the entire IASGO Family. In the meantime, please accept our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a New Year filled with health, happiness, peace, prosperity, and productivity!
Yours sincerely,
Aleksandar Karamarković, MD, PhD, FASGO
President, IASGO
Kyoichi Takaori, MD, PhD, FASGO
Secretary General, IASGO
Dan G. Duda, DMD, PhD , FASGO
Secretary General, IASGO
