Dear delegates and friends,

We would like to welcome one and all to SUNecho 2023, the 12^th installment of our annual echocardiography course.  The SUNecho approach is based on understanding basic echocardiography principles, and then apply them in a process of critical thinking to solve even complex cases. This approach will ensure that all of you, including those with no experience in echocardiography as well as the experienced echocardiographers amongst you, will benefit from the course. For the less experienced delegates who aim to sit for the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) accreditation examinations (now hosted locally) in the near future, SUNecho is perfectly geared towards assisting in your preparation as it covers a comprehensive syllabus in echocardiography over the 4-days of the course. We start with the basic principles required to understand an echocardiographic area of interest before progressing to some of the complexities of applying these principles. Some of you will also participate in our hands-on 3D echocardiography workshop aimed at understanding the principles and practice of this modality for more experienced operators.

SUNecho 2023, will again be hosted at the Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch, amongst the beautiful vineyards of our university town. The course will provide a good foundation for the development of your echocardioagraphy skills and add novel information aimed at improving knowledge and skills of even the most experienced echocardiographers amongst you. We once again have an exceptional faculty who will be sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise in a course known for its characteristic Stellenbosch University hospitality.

The key to your success in this course is your active participation. Join the discussion, raise the questions you have, share your experience and perspectives, and enjoy the SUNecho experience.

Welcome to SUNecho 2023!