The IOFF-Subspecialty Fellowship Program is a european initiative for Ophthalmologists from low-resource and underserved countries

In 2001, on the recommendation of Prof. Balder Gloor from Zurich, Switzerland and in collaboration with the International Council of Ophthalmology, a three months fellowships program was first started. To date more than 1350 three-months fellows and more than 45 one-year fellowshave been awarded under the program.

In 2007 the growing financial support from Germany allowed to found the International Ophthamological Fellowship Foundation (IOFF e. V.) which is recognized as a charity organization by the German tax authorities.  Around 900.000 EUR were collected to support return travel and living expenses of the three-months fellows.

In October 2020, the IOFF e. V. has started its own initiative, the IOFF-Subspeciality Fellowship Program, offering three months and one-year subspeciality training from low-resource and underserved countries. The mission of the program is to enhance eyecare education and eyecare delivery in the candidate‘s homecountries by meeting the individual needs of the candidates in their subspecialty. Candidates can refine and further develop their skills in internationally recognized ophthalmologic centers under the tuition of renowned experts.

Prof. Berthold Seitz, Prof. Peter Gabel and Ms Cordula Gabel-Obermaier are an established team with many years of experience and are responsible for the program.
Many international hosts and collaboration partners have confirmed their long term commitment to assist in fulfilling the mission of the IOFF- Subspecialty Fellowship Program.

Our Values

• collaboration
• equity
• participation
• reason and reliability
• development of knowledge
• responsibility and sustainability
• transparency