Interview with the New IUFRO Executive Director Alexander Buck

IUFRO Executive Director Alexander Buck

On 1 December 2010, Alexander Buck assumed the position of Executive Director of IUFRO. IUFRO President, Professor Niels Elers Koch, Director General of the Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, states in this context, “We short-listed five strong candidates from different countries for the position as IUFRO’s new Executive Director. The Selection Committee and the IUFRO Board unanimously agreed that Alexander Buck was the best person for this position.” The following interview will show what Alexander Buck envisages for IUFRO.

Q: The International Union of Forest Research Organizations understands itself as “the” global network for forest science cooperation. What does it take in your opinion to make this network even more active and stronger in the future?

B: IUFRO brings together research organizations, universities and individual scientists as well as decision makers and other stakeholders with an interest in forests and trees. This unique membership pool ensures excellent networking opportunities across borders and disciplines. However, to make sure that scientists can really benefit from these opportunities, it is crucial for IUFRO to understand and adequately respond to their needs and interests as well as to ensure the participation of colleagues from truly all parts of the world. Communication is of key importance in this context and therefore I am strongly committed to communicate closely with all our members and officeholders to help them achieve their research missions more efficiently. Read more…

A Forest Researcher without Borders: Interview with IUFRO President Niels Elers Koch

IUFRO President Niels Elers Koch

At the IUFRO World Congress 2010, Professor Niels Elers Koch, Director General of Forest & Landscape Denmark, a national centre at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, was elected IUFRO President for the period until the next IUFRO World Congress in 2014. He follows Professor Don Koo Lee, Korea, in this position, recognizing his contributions to the development of IUFRO in the past five years.

Q: Professor Koch, at the beginning of your first speech as IUFRO President at the closing of the XXIII IUFRO World Congress in Seoul, you underlined the importance of IUFRO for your personal career as a forest scientist. What can IUFRO do for a forest scientist today?

K: When I was 25 years old, I participated in my first IUFRO World Congress. It was held in Oslo, Norway, in 1976. That changed the rest of my life – to the better. IUFRO provided me with a global network of the best researchers in the area I studied. I also met with colleagues who became some of my best and everlasting friends. And I got a much better understanding and appreciation of other cultures through IUFRO. I am sure that IUFRO can do the same for forest scientists today. As “the global network for forest-related research” it offers excellent opportunities to exchange knowledge and experience, meet new colleagues and friends from all over the world and, thus, become a true “forest researcher without borders”. Read more…

Interview with Jeremy Rayner on International Forest Regime

A short interview was done with the Chair of the Expert Panel on the International Forest Regime, Professor Jeremy Rayner, on the occasion of the first Expert Panel meeting in December 2009 in Vienna.