Asia-Pacific Society for the Study of Aging Male  (APSSAM) MEETING

Minutes of Meeting

Date    :        2^nd September, 2011

Time   :       18:00 hrs – 19:15 hrs

Venue  :        Miami Room, Paradise Hotel Busan

Absent:                   

                                Dr S Krishnamurti

                                Prof Thomas IS Hwang

                                Dr Lee Boon Cheok

                                        Dr Doddy Soebadi

                                        Dr Ng Chirk Jenn

                                        Prof P Ganesan Adaikan

                                Prof Narmada P Gupta

                                Prof Young Chan Kim

                                Dr Akmal Taher

                                Dr Jose Albert C Reyes III

                                Dr Nhu Thanh Nguyen

Busan APSSAM Council

•        Meeting opened by Sec-General Hui Meng Tan

•        Welcome by President  -  Nam Cheol Park

•        Report of 6^th APSSAM meeting by Prof Nam Cheol Park

The Busan Meeting was very well organised, with about 350 participant from 18 countries attended. The scientific program covered of 2 plenary lecture sessions, 1 satellite symposium, 2 luncheon symposia, 6 symposia, 4 special lectures, 2 free paper sessions and poster exhibition.

A motion of Thanks and Congratulations was proposed by KK Chew and supported by the Council.

•        Sec General HM Tan introduced Prof Bruno Lunenfeld as the visionary leader

who proposed setting up an Asian Section of ISSAM at the 2000 World meeting. Prof Kumamoto set up the Japan Society of Study of the Aging Male (JSSAM) and Prof HM Tan took the challenge and form the APSSAM. As the founding president, Prof HM Tan went on to stage the 1^st APSSAM Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in April 2001.The meeting was well received and overwhelmingly supported by 430 participants from 38 countries

Prof Han Sun Chiang and Prof Apichat subsequently organised equally successful meetings in Taipei (2003) & Chiangmai (2005) respectively. Prof Bruno was honoured with a Lunenfeld lecture in all subsequent meetings, which were held in Bali 2007, Osaka 2009 and Busan 2011. Prof Kumamoto was made on honorary president of APSSAM at the 2009 Osaka Meeting.

•        Prof HM Tan was elected Secretary General at the Taipei Meeting in 2003

and the Secretarial has remained in Kuala Lumpur since then. Prof HM Tan expressed to step down as the Secretary General and an interim Secretariat was proposed by Dr Peter Lim to be set up in Korea. Prof Nam Cheol Park will liaise with the Korean Andrological Society to elect the secretary General.

(Prof Sae Woong Kim was subsequently confirmed as the new Secretary-General)

•        President Nam Cheol Park announced to the Council that Prof Krishnamurthi

was uncontactable and there was no news on the coming joint 7th APSSAM & ISSAM Meeting which was tentatively to be held in India. President Park advised the Council to select another venue for the joint APSSAM & ISSAM    meeting which was proposed to be held in Beijing 2014, instead of 2013.

Prof Xin was unanimously elected as President of the Society. Many Council members including Prof Bruno expressed reservation that from past experience, profit from international meetings held in China, would have difficulty to be repatriated to the parent society. Prof ZC Zin and Prof JH Liu however felt there are means to send profits to the international parent societies which in our case are APSSAM & ISSAM. The council felt that engaging an international Professional Conference Organization (PCO) will be the best option to ensure that profits from our joint APSSAM / ISSAM meeting will be prorated fairly, and repatriated to the respective parties. A reasonable acceptable profit sharing is to proportion 1/3 to the local organizing committee, 1/3 to the PCO (if the PCO undertake to take the risk of lost from the meeting) and 1/3 to the parent society. The Korean Secretary General and Prof Xin together with the Treasurer will get in touch with a potential PCO, Kenes International which is based in Singapore. Kenes is familiar with APPSAM, as the company has already started exploring work with Sec General Hui Meng Tan and Prof Krishnamurthi. It is prosposed that Kenes be contacted and start discussion on the possibility of being appointed as the PCO for the 2014 China meeting. Prof Hui Meng will contact Ms.Gracia of Kenes regarding the 2014 China joint APSSAM/ ISSAM meeting.

•        Changing of APSSAM to APSMHA

The Council has decided to change the name APSSAM to Asia Pacific Society of Men’s Health and Aging (APSMHA). This is to reflect the current importance of men’s health in Asia and the World.

•        Next APSMHA Meeting in Kaohsiung

It is proposed that the new executive council which include all existing Council members and new Office Bearers meet at the Nov 2011 Kaohsiung meeting. Prof HM Tan proposed that Dr Mak Siu King of Hong Kong be invited to join the APSMHA Council meeting with view to be elected as Treasurer for the Society. It is believed that a Treasurer from Hong Kong, will help to register APSMHA in Hong Kong and open a bank account .This will facilitate the smooth financial transaction of the society including repatriation of funds to parent Societies, when the need arises from the Beijing 2014 joint APSMHA/ISSAM Meeting.

The meeting was closed with a word of thanks from President NC Park at 19:15 hrs.