History of the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons from 1964 to 2012: A personal account

A steering committee of the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (AASNS) first met on 17 October, 1961, and between 29 and 31 October 1964, the First Congress was held in Canberra, Australia. A Constitution was accepted and Sir Ian (Douglas) Miller was elected as the first President. The Society was established “to facilitate personal association of neurosurgeons in the region” and to develop training programs and neurosurgical services. The progress of the Society meetings is best tracked through the four-yearly scientific meetings, of which 13 have now been held. The AASNS is now a continental body within the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), established in Geneva, Switzerland. Two special milestones have included the establishment of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience in 1993 and the launching of the Asian Australasian Travelling Fellowship in 1987. The current President of the AASNS is Professor Andrew H. Kaye from Melbourne, Australia, and the President-elect of the WFNS is Professor Yong-Kwang Tu from Taipei, Taiwan.