SAN RAMON, Calif.—In support of the education of future eyecare professionals around the world, CooperVision has partnered with The Optical Foundation to sponsor registration to this year’s American Academy of Optometry  (AAO) virtual conference for more than 75 optometry students from Ghana. The students, who are in their final year of study, will have access to the complete schedule of online educational sessions over the next two weeks. “In an ordinary year, CooperVision sends a select number of students to international optometry conferences,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, president of the CooperVision Specialty Eyecare Division. “While a virtual Academy meeting is an unfortunate result of the pandemic, it has its benefits. The circumstances have allowed us to extend access to education from some of the world’s top eye care professionals to more students than ever before. We are proud to provide this opportunity to these Ghanaian students.”

The Optical Foundation, based in The Netherlands, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the accessibility of eyecare in Ghana through education, research and comprehensive eye exams.

“The Optical Foundation is delighted to be able to offer this opportunity for the future optometrists of Ghana to access the rich knowledge resources of the AAO,” Dr. Eric Papas, advisory board member of the Optical Foundation, said in an announcement. “CooperVision’s assistance has made this possible and we are grateful for their continued support of our efforts to promote the development of optometry in Ghana.”