
IACLE – the International Association of Contact Lens Educators – will celebrate 40 years of ‘Exceptional Education. Exponential Impact’ with special events at the British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference & Exhibition in Manchester, UK this month (30 May–1 June).
IACLE – the International Association of Contact Lens Educators – will celebrate 40 years of ‘Exceptional Education. Exponential Impact’ with special events at the British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference & Exhibition in Manchester, UK this month (30 May–1 June).
Over the three days, delegates will be invited to ‘Make Your Mark’ at the IACLE exhibition booth (Stand 6) on a time wall of milestones in the Association’s history. A 40th Anniversary celebration and cake-cutting will take place on Thursday 30 May at 5pm at the booth.
President Dr Shehzad Naroo will open an International Perspectives session on Thursday at 12 noon with a presentation marking 40 years of IACLE. And the IACLE Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday 1 June at 2.30 pm in the main auditorium, where the 2019 IACLE Contact Lens Educators of the Year and IACLE Travel Award will be presented.
A 40th Anniversary celebration and cake-cutting will take place on Thursday 30 May at 5pm at the booth

A joint IACLE / BUCCLE (British & Irish University & College Contact Lens Educators) Education Day for contact lens educators and postgraduate students will take place in Manchester on Wednesday 29 May to coincide with the conference. International authorities in contact lens education will speak on Research and evidence base related to our publications and presentations.
Some of the founding members of IACLE who attended its very first meeting in November 1979 will be saluted at IACLE / BUCCLE Education Day. IACLE’s Founding President Hilmar Bussacker, first BUCCLE Chair Richard Pearson and former IACLE Vice President Des Fonn will describe their experiences of the early days of IACLE.
IACLE will celebrate its 40th year with anniversary events at three further major international meetings during 2019: the Asia Pacific Optometric Congress in Manila, Philippines (17–20 June), the Colegio Federación Colombiana de Optómetras (FEDOPTO) Congress in Bogotá, Colombia (8–10 August), and Academy 2019 and 3rd World Congress of Optometry in Orlando, Florida, USA (23–27 October). Many more national and local meetings around the world will mark the occasion.
Dr Shehzad Naroo commented, “BCLA will mark the first of our celebrations at international events worldwide. We look forward to welcoming old friends, founding members, current members and guests to our events at the BCLA Conference, and are ever grateful to our sponsors and to the BCLA for their kind support.”