ISHS: Global Horticultural Network
The aim of the ISHS is “to promote and to encourage research in all branches of horticulture and to facilitate cooperation of scientific activities and knowledge transfer on a global scale by means of its publications, events and scientific structure". Membership is open to all interested horticultural researchers, students and organizations.
The International Society for Horticultural Science - in short ISHS – has over 7,000 Individual Members from all over the world, a substantial number of Institutional Members and some 53 Member States/Countries. It has become a major source of up-to-date information on global horticultural research. ISHS aims to promote research in all branches of horticulture. It encourages the development of international co-operation, bringing together scientific and technical professionals to stimulate, facilitate and co-ordinate research and scientific activities on a global scale.
The day-to-day conduct of the Society is in the hands of the ISHS Secretariat, based in Leuven, Belgium. The Society’s policies are guided by the Board of Directors.
The Council, which meets every two years, is made up of delegates representing the interests of countries/states, which have contributed an organisational fee. It has been a tradition to elect the Board of Directors from the Council at the International Horticultural Congress which is held every fourth year.
In addition to the Council and various sub-Committees, the Executive Committee functions to manage the scientific program. It is made up of the Chair of the Sections and Commissions. It is via these groups that ISHS communicates with members, all of whom have specific research interests covering many areas of horticultural science. Sections cover the horticultural crops grown around the world. The Commissions relate to different scientific and technical disciplines within horticulture.
Sections and Commissions establish working groups to focus on specialist subject areas. Those working groups have conveners and the membership comprises eminent horticulturists/horticultural scientists. Currently there are more than 100 such working groups and others are formed from time to time to meet an identified need. From the working groups new Sections and Commissions have been created. Thus, the Executive Committee is charged primarily with setting the scientific/technical agenda of the ISHS and its forthcoming programme of work over a 3 to 5 year period.
The success of the ISHS in relation to its effective communication and leadership of international co-operation, is largely through the 30 or more specialised symposia that are held annually. These are organised locally in a country, each with a convener, an organising committee, a scientific committee and an editorial board. Designed to be self-financing, these symposia tend to concentrate on a technical subject – a crop or research area. Invited speakers present papers, research findings are debated, discussions held, visits arranged and the editor compiles a monograph published under the title of Acta Horticulturae. These publications are available, at cost, to all ISHS members attending symposia and are held in many academic/research libraries. English is the official language of ISHS used at meetings and in communications. Since 2001 the entire Acta Horticulturae library is available online and services the needs of thousands of researchers all over the world who use the www.actahort.org site to stay in touch with advances in horticultural science. Individual copies of Acta Horticulturae can also be purchased from the ISHS Secretariat.
The other means of regular communication is Chronica Horticulturae, the quarterly publication of ISHS. Besides containing a calendar of events, announcements, different items of news and details of forthcoming events, there are reports on the activities of sections, commissions and working groups, and discussion on major issues affecting horticulture – all having an international dimension.
A major benefit of ISHS membership is the privilege of attending an International Horticultural Congress every four years at discounted rates. The Congresses which are attended by 2,000 or more delegates are carefully planned over a 48-month period to cover all areas of horticultural science that are of interest to members. The Congress provides opportunities for individuals to exhibit poster displays and to make oral presentations on their current research work. Thus, information is shared with a wide audience. Beside the major sessions, many workshops, symposia and other meetings are held concurrently during the Congress. Business meetings of the Society and its Sections and Commissions take place. In addition there are numerous social gatherings, sight-seeing opportunities, and the chance to see local horticultural industries during specialized field trips.
Joining ISHS
If you have not joined, now is your opportunity. More details on ISHS membership including an application form are available from www.ishs.org/members.
Special rates are available for students and members from developing countries.
