Committee

The Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC), Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (also abbreviated as Young APAGE “Y-APAGE”) was established in late 2022 to leverage the core competencies of APAGE to provide support, mentorship, networking opportunities and leadership development for emerging leaders in digestive health from the Asia-Pacific region. Committee members are drawn from 17 different regions or countries in the Asia-Pacific and are officially appointed by the APAGE Council. In addition, we have established 12 Focus Groups under the ELC, comprising of both ELC members and non-members to allow for more flexibility and dynamism when pursuing developments in the respective subspecialties, as well as identifying potential emerging leaders in the field.

Since its inception, we have held 7 committee meetings with our first in-person meeting in Bangkok at Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) 2023. In the upcoming APDW 2024 in Bali, we will host a Y-APAGE interactive session, and also hold another in-person business meeting. We have a social media presence on platforms such as X (formally known as Twitter) and Facebook. We have also set up an official WeChat (Weixin) account which is, to the best of our knowledge the first of its kind amongst the major regional societies in the Gastroenterology field providing us with a unique platform and bridge to engage young scholars in China and worldwide.

Our committee plans to work closely with APAGE’s official publication, the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology to enhance our members’ exposure to the editorial and publication process, and to promote the exchange of scientific ideas. This has culminated in the publication of a review article on the role the appendix plays on gut microbiome and colorectal cancer, and editorial pieces on Women in Gastroenterology and introducing the work of the ELC. Our Hepatology Focus Group has also published a review in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology on “Liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma in the Asia-Pacific region”.

The ELC also hopes to foster ties with other young chapters of international and global organizations to strengthen international engagement. We have previously co-organized a joint webinar with the Chinese Youth Club of Crohn’s and Colitis (CYCCC) in May 2023, and another with Shanghai Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center (SIBDC) and CYCCC in February 2024. We also have several other events in the pipeline, such as the APAGE Emerging Leader Committee Webinar Series starting in October 2024. Utilizing the ELC network as a platform, we have endorsed surveys on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of Helicobacter pylori in Asia, and another on paediatric gastroenterology training in the region.

Our ultimate aim is through this deliberate, structured and strategic development of a digestive health community, we can identify and nurture future leaders calling from the Asia Pacific region.

Dr Rashid LUI and Professor Raja Affendi Raja ALI
Co-Chairs
Emerging Leaders Committee, Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology