The 43rd Korean College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting and 17th International Symposium running Wednesday through Saturday at Coex, southern Seoul, features two special sessions aimed at fostering a younger generation of rheumatologists.

Dr. Bae Sang-cheol and Dr. Yoo Dae-hyun, both from Hanyang University shared their expertise and experience as leading clinicians and researchers in the field of rheumatology during the Presidential Plenary session on Thursday. The lectures aimed to inspire young researchers and empower them as future leaders in the field.

The Meet the Mentor sessions will host 10-20 young researchers to engage in Q&As with invited senior physicians. Dr. George Tsokos from Harvard University met with young researchers on Thursday. Dr. Kim Ho-youn, the inaugural director of the KCR and Dr. Mary Crow from Weill Medical College of Cornell University, also a former president of the American College of Rheumatology, hold a mentoring session on Friday. Dr. Kim Seong-yoon, who has played a significant role in raising awareness of rheumatic diseases in Korea as the director of Kim Seongyoon Internal Medicine Clinic and former director of the Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, is the invited speaker at the Meet the Mentor session on Saturday.

At Thursday's inaugural Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) and Korean College of Rheumatology (KCR) Joint Symposium, Dr. Debashish Danda, the president of the APLAR, lectured on the new initiatives of the APLAR. Dr. Tsutomu Takeuchi, president-elect of the APLAR, provided insights on how young Asians can embrace internationalization. Other speakers at the symposium included Dr. Shin Ki-chul, who addressed the pressing issue of recruiting young rheumatologists and discussed strategies for their education and professional development.

On Friday, Dr. Josef S. Smolen, the editor of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, delivers a keynote lecture that examines the effectiveness and safety of JAK inhibitors and explores comprehensive approaches to disease management. For Saturday's keynote lecture, Cho Byung-kwan, an assistant professor in KAIST’s Department of Biological Sciences, will introduce the progress in synthetic biology and its potential for developing precise molecular therapeutics, including targeted gene and cell therapies.