Eye conditions: prevention, cure and the quality of life

The conference “Handicap visivi: prevenzione, cura e qualità di vita” on the prevention, and cure of eye conditions, organised for the 10th anniversary of the ESASO Foundation will be held on Thursday, November 29 at 6 pm at the ESASO Training Centre, Ospedale regionale di Lugano (Italiano). The European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthamology (ESASO) became associated with Università della Svizzera italiana early this year.

The purpose of the conference is to reflect on the key advances of medicine, and on the importance of greater public awareness on such conditions, through a debate featuring Filippo Simona (ophtamologist), Manuele Bertoli (Director of DECS) and Vikram Shah (former FAO Deputy-Director), moderated by Giovanni Pellegri of Università della Svizzera italiana. To open the evening introductory remarks by USI Rector Boas Erez, Mayor of Lugano Marco Borradori, Director of Ospedale Regionale di Lugano Luca Jelmoni, and by the representative of Ente di sviluppo regionale del luganese (Lugano regional development) Paolo Romani.

ESASO associated with USI

The association of the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO www.esaso.ch) with Università della Svizzera italiana has recently been ratified by the Council of State. ESASO aims at offering the best post-graduate training in the field of eye care in Europe, thanks to a teaching staff of internationally renowned professors, and active collaborations with important centres of care and research in Barcelona, Monaco, Vienna, Milan, and Paris. Since 2016, ESASO has been located in Lugano, in the 400 square meters provided by the Ospedale italiano. Every year, thanks to state-of-the art equipment more of 500 ophthalmologists from all Europeans countries obtain their specialization.

USI and ESASO have been active partners since 2008 (year of ESASO foundation), and they now open up to new synergies with the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, which will be able to count on the strong international network offered by the programme, thus developing scientific research in the field. According to USI Rector Boas Erez “the association of ESASO with USI represents a further step towards the consolidation of medical care in Ticino. A goal that the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences is helping to reach by creating a solid network to foster its growth”.

Unlike what happens with affiliation (IRB and IOR) the third-party institutes associated with USI are not integrated to the university in its strategies and general regulations. The association allows an institutionalised synergy between the University and the Institute in areas of interest to the cantonal higher education politic. The association is regulated by the Legge sull’Università della Svizzera italiana (Law on the Università della Svizzera italiana), art. 12b.