Today as we celebrate World Optometry Day, we encourage you to pause to reflect on the fact that optometry, as a profession, is very young in many global locations emerging more rapidly over the last 10 to 15 years. The scarcity of trained eyecare professionals in emerging nations and how that inequity directly contributes to disadvantaged lives and a critical loss to the overall economy, cannot be underestimated. “Our online Academy learning platform has enabled us to bring together faculty from 17 schools across 12 countries to learn together, and work through innovative evidence-based concepts and strategies for learning and teaching optometry. Over the program we have seen a strong community of optometry faculty form and grow through the online discussions and conferences enabling sharing and learning from each other,” said Judith Stern, Director of Academy, Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation. Read more at iapb.org.