Dear colleagues and friends,

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a tremendous burden upon the populations and the health care societies all over Europe. As a devastating 2020 now has come to an end, we are finally relieved by emerging vaccines that will help us bring back our normal way of living.

As virtual meetings became the standard for scientific communication and collaboration in 2020, it also made us realize the shortcomings of not being able to meet in person. Sharing a cup of coffee while discussing a novel idea just isn’t that easy looking at the screen of a computer.

While the COVID-19 situation has profoundly affected all of our lives, we must not forget the other pandemic that we are also facing. Now more than ever, it is vital to continue the fight against diabetes-induced vision loss and blindness. It is pivotal that we continue expanding our understanding of diabetic retinopathy and that we continue our dedication of implementing screening and optimizing treatment all over Europe.

On behalf of the EASDec board and the local organizers, I am delighted to invite all of you to the 31^st EASDec Annual Meeting, which will be held on location in the city of Odense on 28-30 October, 2021. Centrally located in Denmark and easy to access, the city of Odense was founded more than 1000 years ago. Since then, the city has emerged as a scientific and cultural hub in the central part of Denmark.

As always, the EASDec meeting will be a celebration of breaking scientific news in diabetic retinopathy in variety of topics including experimental research, screening, epidemiology, clinical studies, retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, and medical and surgical treatments. Finally, we are also excited to join up with the Conference of Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy in Europe, which will host its 5^th meeting in connection with the EASDec meeting.

“To travel is to live”, Odense’s native son, fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen used to write. With these words, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in Odense in October 2021.

Professor Jakob Grauslund
Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark
Chair, Local Organizing Committee