IRG Notice Board
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Professorship in Wood Science
The Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology invites applications for a permanent Professorship with civil servant status effective at the earliest possible date.
The professorship will be expected to represent the entire range of wood science in research and teaching with a focus on solid wood research and at the same time strengthen the link between wood science and forestry research in the faculty. The professorship will substantially strengthen the research foci of the faculty “Sustainable multifunctional use and management of forests” and “Forests in transformation”.
We are looking for a committed and team-oriented colleague with a strong research and leadership
profile. Their scientific expertise and visibility in solid wood research should have been proven by a
strong publication record in international peer-reviewed journals and successful third-party acquisition. They should further present a convincing plan to combine the perspective of wood science with the existing expertise in forest sciences to initiate joint research projects. In addition, we expect the
extensive infrastructure of the department of Wood Biology and Wood Products to be integrated into
the future research of the department. Moreover, applicants should have a wide (international) scientific network and experience in leadership and teaching. The willingness to contribute to the further
development of the faculty is essential. Experience in the cooperation with industry partners is desired.
Applications from abroad are explicitly welcome. The University of Göttingen strives to increase the
proportion of women in areas where women are underrepresented and therefore explicitly invites
qualified female scholars to apply.
Closing date: June 24, 2026
Note that this position is for the replacement of Professor Holger Militz, the 2026 Marcus Wallenburg Prize awardee, who is retiring soon after a long and storied career at the University.
Click here for Detailed Information
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ECWM12
12th European Conference on Wood Modification
October 26-27, 2026
The 12th European Conference on Wood Modification (ECWM12) will take place in Dresden, Germany, on October 26-27, 2026. ECWM conferences provide a forum for research organisations and companies, as well as stakeholders, architects, and project managers to learn about the latest developments in wood modification, to discuss them with renowned experts, and to build networks in an informal and friendly atmosphere. All types of wood modification are covered. This includes thermal, chemical, or impregnation modification, as well as related technologies, such as microwave, plasma and enzymatic modification. The programme will also include testing methods and standards, environmental issues, quality control, and aspects of commercialisation and markets.
The Programme for the ECWM12 conference is now available as a PDF. To read and/or download the Programme please click here.
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ICE 2028
The upcoming International Congress of Entomology will be held during July 17-21 2028, bringing the global entomology community together in Cape Town, South Africa.
ICE 2028 will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and discussion at a time when insect science is central to global challenges in food security, human health, biodiversity conservation, and climate change.
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UK Timber Design Conference 2026
The UK Timber Design Conference 2026, convened by Timber Development UK and supported by Swedish Wood and PEFC UK, will be held on 2 July 2026 at One Birdcage Walk, in London. The conference provides a national forum for examining timber’s evolving role within UK construction, with particular attention to regulatory change, supply chain capacity, and the decarbonisation agenda.
The programme runs from 9.30am to 5pm and is structured around keynote lectures, moderated panel discussions, and technical sessions. The conference focusses on mass timber systems and engineered wood products alongside residential, commercial, and public-sector case studies.
The sessions will consider embodied carbon accounting, implementation of the UK Timber in Construction Roadmap, modern methods of construction (MMC), fire and durability considerations, and design for disassembly. While practice-oriented in tone, the agenda engages substantively with policy, standards, risk, and performance evidence. The conference will be of interest to academics working in architectural science, structural engineering, materials research, sustainability assessment, construction management, and environmental policy, particularly those evaluating timber durability, structural performance, lifecycle analysis, and regulatory frameworks. It also offers value to doctoral researchers seeking insight into industry priorities and to practitioners engaged in specification, procurement, and technical assurance.
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IUFRO All-Division 5 Conference in Tartu, Estonia, on May 30th- June 3rd, 2027
IUFRO Division 5 “Forest Products” coordination team would like to announce the next All-Division
5 conference 2027 "Future Forest Use: Advancing Wood Science and Forest Products for a Circular
Bioeconomy", which will be jointly organised in cooperation with SWST and the Estonian University of
Life Science.
The conference will be held in Tartu, Estonia, at the Estonian National Museum from May 30th to June 3rd, 2027. First information about the event can be found on https://www.iufro-div5-2027.ee. As in
the previous events, the next All-Division 5 Conference will again bring together experts to discuss the future of sustainable forestry, wood science, forest products and the circular bioeconomy.
The conference will address the numerous aspects of forest products as represented in 11 active
research groups of Division 5, which can be summarised into key topics as follows. Future Wood: Climatesmart forest management and silviculture for forest tree growth, wood yield and quality. Wood Science:
From wood anatomy to the analytics of mechanical, physical and chemical properties. Wood Valorization: Innovative approaches of wood engineering and wood technologies to convert biomass into energy,
chemicals, fibers, and high-performance composites. Non-Wood Products: Exploring the value of
medicinal and edible components of forest crops. It goes beyond wood, emphasizing the efficient,
science-based use of forest resources for the good of mankind.
The call for sessions is open now. Submission deadline is March 15, 2026. To submit the proposal,
please visit the conference website (https://www.iufro-div5-2027.ee/call-for-sessions). The call for
sessions ends on March 15, 2026, and the acceptance of sessions will be announced in April, 2026. In
addition to scientific sessions, the program will include post-conference tours organised by the local
organising committee. To stay up-to-date, please sign up for the newsletter on https://www.iufro-div5-
2027.ee/welcome/.
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International Marine Wood Borer Network
A new group for studies into marine borers
The International Marine Wood-Borer Network (IMWBN) has recently been established and is a global community of researchers, practitioners and enthusiasts dedicated to the organisms that live in, eat and transform wood in the sea.
Marine wood-borers include shipworms (Teredinidae), piddocks, xylophagaids, gribbles (Limnoria), chelurids, sphaeromatids and their allies.
Today, they sit at the heart of several frontier research areas. Shipworm symbionts are a rich source of novel enzymes, antibiotics and bioactive compounds, and form a powerful model system for studying symbiosis. Naked clams – farmed shipworms – are emerging as ultra-fast-growing blue-foods capable of turning low-value wood waste into high-value protein. Fossil borings extend their influence into deep time, helping reconstruct ancient climates, shorelines and ecosystems over millions of years.
The IMWBN was created to unite people working on marine wood-borers across biology, ecology, palaeontology, microbiology, aquaculture, conservation, engineering, heritage science and biotechnology.
The IMWBN exists to give marine wood-borers – and the people who study them – a proper home: a place where this field is visible, impactful and high-profile, and where these remarkable “boring” organisms can receive the attention they genuinely merit.
More details can be found on their website (https://www.imwbn.com/)
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