Hosted at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from Thursday, 30 April to Sunday, 3 May 2026, the RACS Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) will centre on the theme, The Art and Science of Collaboration.

The RACS ASC is the College’s flagship educational event and is recognised as one of the most significant surgical meetings in the region. It showcases latest in surgical research, emerging technologies and advances in patient care, while providing a forum for collaboration across nine surgical specialties, plus a host of subspecialties and interest groups.

Highlights of the program include keynote sessions exploring global health ethics, the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, and the evolving professional and ethical challenges facing modern healthcare.

Some highlights include: 
• Professor Annie Sparrow, internationally recognised paediatric intensivist and global health expert, will deliver The politics of professionalism. This plenary will draw on Professor Sparrow’s decades of front line work in conflict and humanitarian settings to explore the weaponisation of healthcare in war.

• Dr Jordan Nguyen, engineer, inventor and biomedical innovator, will explore the transformative potential of AI and emerging medical technologies in his plenary: I’m a surgeon: will I still have a job in 10 years? • Chelsea Gordon, a legal and strategic advisor to hospitals, government and private healthcare providers, will join Dr Nguyen, to discuss how AI is being implemented safely and responsibly in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare.
• Dr Mohit Bhandari (India), a bariatric and robotic surgeon and president of IRCAD India, will discuss the reality and current status of telerobotic surgery, and how advances in robotics and digital connectivity are reshaping the way surgeons operate, collaborate and teach in Across oceans – at the console: the reality of telerobotic surgery.

The ASC will also feature an impressive lineup of local and international speakers, including:
• Professor Nehmatt Houssami (Sydney, Australia) – on the latest updates and suggested guidelines to refine our National Breast Screen Program
• Conjoint Professor Carolyn Hullick FACEM (NSW, Australia) – on improving emergency care for older patients
• Professor Joon Pio Hong (Seoul, South Korea) – on reconstructive microsurgery, wound healing and super microsurgery innovations
• Professor Matteo Rottoli (Bologna, Italy) – on minimally invasive and robotic colorectal surgery
• Dr Anna Ibele (Utah, USA) – on the impact of obesity and bariatric surgery on cancer risk
• Lt. Col Steven Jeffery (Birmingham, UK) – on burns and plastic surgery in austere and military environments
• Dr Anjay Khandelwal (Ohio, USA) – on advances in burn surgery, reconstructive techniques and global burn care.

Meet our speakers here 

With less than a month to go, start planning your ASC 2026 experience by visiting ASC 2026 website to register. Don’t forget to check out the program, masterclasses, accommodation options and more.