ISN Council elections: Meet candidates from Africa and East Asia
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In the run up to the ISN Council elections, we will introduce the different candidates who you can vote for. You can cast your vote between February 1st and March 3rd, 2017. Over the next month, you will receive your unique and secure link to access the voting system. These are the statements from candidates in Africa and East Asia.
The ISN Council is the governing body and the legal trustee of the Society. Its composition reflects the various disciplines and geographic diversities that make up ISN. All members of ISN have the chance to cast their vote and change the way the ISN Council will look in the next term. In the meantime, before making your choice, read the guide to the elections, HERE.
Make sure your membership is up to date so you can vote. Renew your membership online, HERE. If your email address has changed, please notify: membership@theisn.org.
This is the list of candidates for the regions of Africa and East Asia and their statements.
Africa
Fatiu Abiola Arogundade, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
‘I have been a member of ISN since 1999 and benefited from the ISN Fellowship Program. I have thereafter served as Home mentor to four ISN Fellows. I have attended the World Congresses since 2003 in Berlin and I have continued to encourage Nigerians to attend since then. We had an encouraging attendance at the WCN 2015. I served in the organizing committee WCN 2015, Chair of sessions during WCN 2013 and 2015. I have served namely in the hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, Young Nephrologist and Sister Renal Center (SRC) Committees as well as the Chronic Kidney Disease in Disadvantaged Populations Committee and the ISN African Regional Board. I have participated in the Educational Ambassadors and SRC Programs and the commemoration of World Kidney Day since its inception.
Based on the aforementioned experiences, if elected into ISN Council, I will encourage membership drive across Africa, foster the utilisation of ISN educational programs to further develop Africa’s Nephrology, better attendance of the WCN across Africa, more participation in WKD celebrations across Africa, the utilisation of Library enhancement Program and nephrology research in Africa.’
Charles Swanepoel, Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
‘I wish to continue to promote the active ISN initiative into the development of the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in countries in Africa. The collaboration with AFRAN in this regard is essential to reach the broader African Nephrology community and thereby to ensure the continued involvement, and indeed continued viability, of AFRAN.
This endeavour must associate itself with the Global Kidney Health Atlas program, which has recently been initiated by ISN leaders to assess shortfalls in ability to cope with CKD management and the capability of African countries to respond to the challenges of a CKD burden.’
Gloria Ashuntantang, Yaounde General Hospital, University of Yaounde, Cameroon.
‘If elected to the ISN Council, I will work together with other Councillors and the Executive Committee towards the accomplishment of the aims of the ISN. Having served the ISN in several capacities, and benefitted from ISN Continuous Medical Education, Educational Ambassadors and Fellowship Programs, I am fully aware of the vision of the ISN, and the challenges of kidney health worldwide. My contribution to the growth of nephrology and the improvement of access to renal care in my country as well as my service in the African Society of Nephrology have taught me about the importance of teamwork in finding solutions to these challenges.
If elected, I hope to specifically join the Council as a team in seeking ways of increasing ISN membership and improving access to quality renal replacement therapy in emerging countries. My team spirit, networking skills, and bilingualism (French and English) may be useful in accomplishing these tasks.’
East Asia
Fan Fan Hou, Southern Medical University and Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, China
‘ISN is a unique and wonderful organization for all nephrologists around the world. If I had the honor to be elected, I would devote my energy and leadership to promoting the ISN mission. Firstly, I would strongly promote clinical research into kidney disease in developing countries, particularly in East Asia. The etiology and pathogenesis of kidney diseases in this region have their unique characteristics, which call for more clinical investigation.
Secondly, I would dedicate myself to improve the awareness of chronic kidney disease in the general population by organizing and promoting science education and enhancing professional education among primary physicians. Thirdly, I would promote the international exchange, communication and collaboration, take a leadership role in implementing ISN activities, and initiate programs to improve the clinical care of kidney disease patients worldwide. In short, I will commit myself to the ISN Council and look forward to serving the international nephrology community in this capacity.’
Ming-Hui Zhao, Peking University First Hospital, Clinical PI, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, China.
‘As the Chief of the Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital, one of the top renal programs in China, I am a clinical nephrologist and physician-scientist, also acting as a PI of several major national research programs in China with international collaborations notably with European and US leading nephrology centers where I received part of my training (Cambridge, UK).
As the Chair of ISN North & East Asia Regional Board, member of ISN education committee and ISN
educational ambassador program, I am actively involved in many ISN activities, including ISN-SRC programs. I also served ISN and fulfilled ISN missions as an active ISN Education Ambassador and invited speaker in ISN Nexus Symposium, ISN Forefront symposium and ISN sponsored CME courses. If I am elected as ISN Councilor, I will enhance cooordination between the Regional Board and various ISN programs and Committees; thus facilitating the link between China and ISN, and increasing ISN influence and encouraging more ISN members within the region.’
Xueqing Yu, Institute of Nephrology, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
‘The candidate embraces the vision, mission and values of the ISN, and wishes to, if he has the honor, accomplish the following:
– Establish in his term and thereafter platforms for international and inter-disciplinary
collaborations, thus enhancing the quality of research and ultimately advancing the diagnosis
and treatment of kidney diseases
– Facilitating CME programs for nephrologists, especially expanding the coverage of such
programs to less developed Asian and African regions
– Channel the cultivation of young researchers, fellows and doctors worldwide, encourage
their attendance at academic events, promote their exchange programs, and support their
research
– Promote a more inclusive, lasting and win-win collaboration between the ISN and Chinese Society of Nephrology (CSN), and actively engage in ISN initiatives like 0by25 and Saving Young Lives that are designed to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of kidney diseases, especially in the Asia Pacific region
– Continue the ISN and CSN support for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in Africa and strive to identify a feasible and effective pattern.’
Read about the candidates in other regions.
Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East
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