President's Letter – Winter 2025

As we approach the end of 2025 and look ahead to 2026 and our 27th Congress and General Assembly, I would like to share a message of positivity and optimism about the future of our Union. I would also like to reaffirm the extraordinary contribution of science to a rapidly changing world, a world which can lead to feelings of alienation and nostalgia.

Every era has its own concerns, and our era needs scientists who believe in their societal role and can solve humanity's problems. Over the last 130 years, crystallographers have made key discoveries, and our Union has forged the necessary connections to enable highly effective global communication and collaboration. Some of us who are now passing the baton on to new generations knew the people who developed our discipline in the 1950s and 1960s, and we saw them recognised with Nobel Prizes. In 1985, Herbert A. Hauptman and Jerome Karle received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and in 2025, Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi received the same prize. At the Madrid Congress in 2011, Omar Yaghi delivered a plenary lecture alongside Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath, who had won the Prize in 2009. A notable aspect of this year's Prize in Chemistry was the recognition of the contribution of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to global sustainability, demonstrating the connection between structural science and potential solutions to some of the most pressing problems that future generations will face.

In recognition of the unifying role of crystallography within the International Union, we believe that structural science is currently experiencing a period of significant growth, as the term 'structural science' best encapsulates the current state of our discipline, which encompasses all advances related to the structure and dynamics of matter in its various forms. The development of structural science is currently being influenced significantly by large synchrotron and neutron facilities, spectacular advances in electron microscopy and diffraction, and the growing impact of quantum crystallography. The two main branches of structural science — life science and materials science — are becoming increasingly intertwined and are collaborating through organisations such as our Union.

In 2025, I experienced the wide range of activities of our five regional associations (ACA, ECA, AsCA, LACA and AfCA) through their conferences, all of which had high levels of participation and excellent scientific and social standards. The same was true of the ACA and LACA meetings I attended in 2024. At these conferences, I witnessed the emergence of new generations of crystallographers and structural scientists who are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to our field. We are devising new programmes in which young people can demonstrate their scientific excellence. The AsCA Rising Star project is a good example of this, as are the ECA's innovative Scholarship and Mentoring programmes and the ACA's imaginative regional initiatives for engaging younger people through the Student Worker Program. All this work to integrate people and disciplines will come to fruition in the medium and long term, resulting in generations that are more globally connected and also connected to those who came before them and to society.

Preparations are under way for the 27th IUCr Congress and General Assembly in Calgary in 2026. We intend to give special prominence to the IUCr Early Career Scientists Division (ECSD) and IUCr Journals Early Career Boards, both of which are set to play a significant role in our future development. We would like to rejuvenate our editorial boards by adding young individuals with experience, and those in need of experience, who can help us identify ways to attract future scientists and inspire a scientific vocation from an early age. At the same time, we will celebrate the achievements of our Ewald, W. H. & W. L. Bragg and Struchkov award winners and hear from our Nobel laureates.

At our Journals Management Board meeting in Chester in March we will discuss the importance of maintaining rigorous standards in scientific evaluation and publication, as well as the engagement of Editors, Co-editors and referees in close collaboration with the Chester Editorial Team. We will also discuss the ongoing renewal of our editors and our global editorial strategy. In March, the Finance Committee will meet in Lund to discuss the important matter of maintaining the Union's financial health, which is essential for achieving our goals and providing funds for distribution by the Meeting Support Committee, now led by Maria Cristina Nonato following the excellent work of Manfred Weiss.

As always, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributes to our organisation, including the Adhering Bodies and Regional Associates, the IUCr Commissions and Committees, the Editors and Co-editors of our journals, the referees and the authors, our Chester staff, and all individual structural scientists. In the Congress Year, special thanks go to the IUCr2026 organisers.

Thanks also go to Mike Glazer, the Editor of the IUCr Newsletter, and his team, as well as to all our contributors, for making another issue possible that continues to serve as a reference point for communication within our community.

The arrival of a new year prompts thoughts about the future and the evolving nature of our endeavours. It is therefore important to adopt a positive outlook and strive for a more informed and fairer society — a goal that can only be achieved with the help of science. Let us hope that 2026 will be a year of progress and momentous discoveries for the future of our planet and all its inhabitants. Wherever we are and whatever our position, let us all contribute to this and feel proud to belong to the International Union of Crystallography. Happy 2026!