Aotearoa New Zealand activities and events
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RACS Founders Centenary - NZ ASM
Join us for the RACS Founders Centenary: Evolution Through Necessity Thursday 11 - Saturday 13 February 2027 to celebrate 100 years of RACS in Dunedin; the city where the first Council meeting was held.
Thursday: Cultural competency workshop, Louis Barnett Prize and Welcome Function
Friday: AoNZ ASM - Day 1 and Centenary dinner and cèilidh at Larnach Castle
Saturday: AoNZ ASM - Day 2
ASM topics include:
- History of Surgery & the College
- Evolution of Surgery in War
- The Challenge of Unmet Need in Health
- Coping with Uncertainty in Healthcare
- The Future of Surgical Training & Selection
- Surgical Innovation
More information coming soon.
Louis Barnett Prize
Trainees and younger Fellows involved in advanced surgical academic research have the chance to have their hard mahi recognised.
This prestigious award, valued at $2,500, was established in 1962 and commemorates Sir Louis Barnett, a founder of RACS, a pioneering surgical research, and the first New Zealand president of RACS.
2027 Louis Barnett Prize
Abstract submissions are now open for the 2027 Prize. To enter you must complete this form by 11:59pm Monday 16 November 2026.
The 2027 Finalist Presentations will be held during the RACS Founders Centenary in Dunedin on Thursday 11 February 2026 at the Barnett Theatre, Dunedin Hospital. The prize will then be awarded at the Centenary Dinner.
Those selected to present will be notified in early December.
For more information about the prize, please visit the Louis Barnett Prize page or for more information about the Founders Centenary please see details above. You can also send us an email if you have any questions.
The 2025 event can be viewed here