Asia-Oceania Otorhinolaryngological Societies - History and Organisation

The 8^th World Congress of Otorhinolaryngology was held on 24 - 30 October 1965 in Bunkakaikan, Tokyo, Japan, drawing representatives, members and scholars from 57 countries around the world.

The International Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Sciences (IFOS), as a new organisational structure for the World Congress, was proposed at the general assembly held during the congress, and the responsibility for developing IFOS was assigned to Drs Shigekazu Sato and Jo Ono, the president and secretary-general respectively, of the 8^th World Congress. 

Asian and Oceania representatives held a meeting of their own, on October 28^th, after the International Committee Banquet for national representatives at Okura Hotel. Professor Gill Ryoung Kim, the representative from Korea, proposed the formation of AOOS.  This was carried unanimously.

At the Teikoku Hotel on November 2, 1965, Drs Toshikazu Nishihata and Nobuji Fujimori (Japan), Gill Ryoung Kim (Korea), Nguyen Tan Luc (Vietnam), Shih-mien Tu (Taiwan), Jesus Eusebio (Philippines) together with observers Drs Shigekazu Sato (Congress President) and Ono Jo (Congress Secretary-General), met and decided that the first congress and general assembly of the AOOS was to be held in Seoul, Korea.  Drs Gill Ryoung Kim, Nobuji Fujimori and Shih-mien To were designated as the convenors of the Seoul meeting. 

The venue, was subsequently moved to the Philippines, due to the internal affairs of Korea at the time.  It was also decided that the meeting would be convened once every four years, to run alternately with the World Congresses in between. 

Since the inaugural meeting in Manila on 19 -22 November 1967, the meetings have been convened at the following venues:

International Council members: