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Are you getting excited? I am! What for? Well, we finally have the first fully physical WCN’23 since the COVID-19 pandemic began back in 2019! There are five things I am certainly looking forward to at this year’s congress and I am sure you are too!

1) Be inspired by the plenary lectures!

Plenary lectures are always one of the highlights of the congress, with state-of-the-art presentations by leading experts in kidney care, this year is no exception!

With the advent of genetics and genomic medicine and the emergence of artificial intelligence, two experts in the field, Ali Gharavi and Olga Troyanskaya, will share their knowledge of molecular genetics and the development of precision medicine through machine learning. The future is bright, the future is genetics!

Changing tack, Yot Teerawattananon will share his experiences conducting health technology assessment research and how this is relates to Thailand’s peritoneal diaylsis-first policy. He promises to dispell the myths of providing dialysis in low-and-middle income countries. This is certainly topical, given last week’s World Kidney Day call for “Kidney health for all.”

Finally, although we are getting the upper hand in the fight against COVID-19, the need to stay on top of the situation is ever more important! It would be prudent to listen to Barney Graham’s talk on the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines and the future of pandemic preparedness.

I have always found these plenary sessions inspiring and I look forward to listening to all four speakers!

2) Join in and connect in the topical networking and spotlight sessions!

This year, we, the ISN Emerging Leaders Program cohort, have prepared many networking and spotlight sessions with a multitude of topics ranging from sustainable kidney care, telemedicine in nephrology, and challenges for young kidney donors. Want to find out innovative ways to advance kidney care over coffee? These are the networking sessions for you: Come and join us to share your opinions and experiences.

3) Share your views with fellow delegates in the poster area!

The poster area will be another great place to mingle with fellow delegates to discuss over the latest research findings. I always enjoy walking around the rows of posters, meeting new people and chatting about their abstracts. Support your colleagues who are showcasing their work, and come and visit mine!

4) Immerse yourself in the ISN Global Village!

Come and visit the Global Village to see how the ISN’s Affiliated societies work together to promote global kidney health. The village is a great place to experience what globalization means and how great collaborations are forged. I invite you to come and visit my society: the Hong Kong Society of Nephrology!

5) Experience Bangkok!

Did you know, Bangkok actually has the longest capital city name in the world?! Given the word count, I would not state it here (trust me, it really is long!), but it’s meaning is a descriptive account of this large bustling city — which I encourage you to experience by exploring! Enjoy an amazing aagglomeration of modern, gleaming glass malls, traditional floating markets, bright neon lights and religious historical sites with gold-lacquered temples.

Needless to say, I can’t wait to experience what delights the “Land of Smiles” and this World Congress have to offer!