A staggering 4200+ delegates attended the IUFRO World Congress 2024 from 23-26 July in Stockholm, Sweden. The congress was a truly staggering, and inspiring event after the official opening by the King of Sweden on the first day.  In all, it that included 3,400 presentations, 200+ sessions, 15 excursions and 70 + showcased innovations.

Amongst these delegates were 13 FABIans, who used this unparalleled opportunity to share the work of the institute, network with colleagues from around the world and participate in the mentorship programme, as well as committee, division, working group and task force meetings of IUFRO. Amongst them, the FABI participants participated in 18 talks and posters. A number of FABIans also participated in committees of IUFRO, including Working Groups, Divisions, the Director’s Forum, the Central Board, and the International Board.

The meeting had some very special moments for FABI, with three of our members receiving prestigious awards:

• Prof. Brenda Wingfield received the IUFRO Scientific Achievement Award. Brenda was recognized for her pivotal role in driving applied biotechnology in the forestry industry. Her pioneering work in the use of molecular techniques for the diagnosis of plant diseases has enabled earlier and more accurate detection of pathogens, thereby facilitating the implementation of more effective control measures. She has published over 450 scientific papers in the discipline of forest health, specifically concerning the speciation and evolution of fungi. She has also mentored over 100 postgraduate students and collaborated with researchers across the world.
• Dr Josephine Queffelec received the Award for Exceptional Doctoral Research in Division 7. Josephine’s PhD project was part of a collaboration between FABI (Prof. Bernard Slippers) and the CFS in Canada (Prof. Jeremy Allison). Her thesis on the "Influence of reproductive biology on the invasive dynamics of Sirex noctilio" led to many discoveries and insights that have been published in top journals, her thesis illustrated the importance of understanding reproductive biology for the monitoring and management of invasive species and for the implementation of biological control programs using insects as biological control agents.
• Prof. Mike Wingfield received the highest honor of IUFRO, namely Honorary Membership. Over the years Mike has made a major impact on the organization. Mike started to participate in IUFRO activities as a young scientist in 1977 in a Working Party dealing with diseases of pines grown in the tropics and southern Hemisphere. Since then, he has been involved in numerous activities of IUFRO, including in a number of leadership positions, as coordinator of Working Parties, Research Groups, Congress Scientific Committees and as Division Co-coordinator of Division 7 (Forest Health), the IUFRO Board and the IUFRO Management Committee. In 2010 Mike became the Vice President responsible for Divisions and culminating in his position of IUFRO President (2014-2019). With this, he became the first President from the African continent. During his term as IUFRO’s President, IUFRO’s focus on the improvement of communication led to a considerably-increased visibility of IUFRO and a process of closer engagement with the private sector was started, with Mondi as a first partner. IUFRO celebrated its 125^thanniversary during his term as a President, by holding the 125^th Anniversary Congress in Freiburg, Germany, under Professor Mike Wingfield’s guidance and leadership. Professor Mike Wingfield has always seen it as one of his most important roles to foster and support the youth in the field of forestry and takes pride in having been an advisor numerous Master of Science and more than 100 Ph.D. students, many of whom now hold very senior positions globally. During his term as President of IUFRO further strengthening the Union’s relationship with the youth was one of his priorities, which included strengthening IUFRO’s ties with IFSA, the International Forestry Students' Association. Among other achievements, he was able to make a grant to the IUFRO-IFSA Task Force on Forests and Education, which was used particularly to further forest education in Africa.
• Ginna Granados, a PhD candidate in FABI received one of the three Best Poster Awards, made by IUFRO Division 7 (Tree Health). Here, she competed with a very large number of others that presented posters at the congress.  Her poster, co-authored by her FABI PhD advisors, Prof. Irene Barnes, Prof. Mike Wingfield and Dr Carlos Rodas was entitled “Susceptibility of South African pine material to infection by Dothistroma septosporum in Colombia.”

IUFRO, is a global, non-profit, non-governmental and non-discriminatory organization is one of the oldest and largest scientific unions in the world. It was established in 1892 with headquarters in Vienna, Austria. It unites about 630 member organizations (including FABI) in more than 115 countries representing over 15,000 scientists.