President of EUCARPIA
Message of the President The 18th General Congress on "Modern Variety Breeding for Present and Future Needs", held in Valencia between 9th and 12th September with the participation of over 400 public and private breeders and plant scientists from Europe and other regions of the world, was a fitting conclusion to the last four-year period. The 36 oral and 286 poster presentations provided a good reflection of the progress that has been made during this period in the life sciences in general and in plant breeding in particular. The General Congress was proof of the fact that plant breeding is a multidisciplinary science, capable of utilising the results achieved in new fields of life science. The main task of EUCARPIA is to promote scientific cooperation and to incorporate new scientific disciplines into plant breeding, maintaining a policy of being open to all scientific communities. EUCARPIA encourages its members to contribute to the development of a modern form of plant breeding, capable of meeting the new challenges facing European agriculture and the whole of human society. In accordance with the constitution of EUCARPIA, the rotation of management was implemented during the General Congress. Professor Jaime Prohens Tomás, who successfully headed the organisation during the last four years, was replaced as President by the previous Vice-President, Zoltán Bedő, but as Past President remains a member of the Executive Committee. The new Vice-President is no stranger to the EUCARPIA management, as Dr Beat Boller has been Treasurer for the last four years, and will continue to occupy this post. Professor Evert Jacobsen has been Scientific Secretary of the association since 2001 and will continue his excellent work in this capacity. Past President Professor Peter Ruckenbauer, one of the pillars of European plant breeding, will continue to put his vast experience at the disposal of the association as a member of the Executive Committee. The newly elected General Secretary is Dr László Láng, Head of the Small Grain Cereal Breeding Department of the Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Martonvásár and Vice-President of the Hungarian Seed Association. Following the system initiated during the Austrian presidency, the EUCARPIA Secretariat has moved from Valencia to Hungary, to the headquarters of the Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Drawing on the experience gained during the previous period, the Secretariat is open to your proposals and suggestions for the improvement of EUCARPIA and its functioning. Among other things, it manages membership business, provides information about the organisation of EUCARPIA meetings, distributes publications, etc. The Secretariat is at the service of all EUCARPIA members and of all plant breeders who are interested in our activities. The Secretariat can be contacted with ease through our e-mail address: eucarpia@mgki.hu. |
