Elections

Elections - ISHS Division Chairpersons and/or Vice-Chairpersons

ISHS Elections - Division Chairpersons (2022-2026) - result is available below (updated: June 20, 2022 - final results).
Elected Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons came into office at the IHC2022 (Angers, France August 2022) where the results of the elections were officially confirmed by the ISHS Council.

2022 Election results - Chairpersons ISHS Divisions (2022-2026):

• Division Horticulture for Human Health (DHEA): Assoc. Prof. Tim O Hare
• Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture (DURB): Dr. Francesco Orsini
• Division Physiology and Plant-Environment Interactions of Horticultural Crops in Field Systems (DPHY): Dr. Evelyne Costes
• Division Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (DBIO): Prof. Dr. Jorge Canhoto
• Division Temperate Tree Nuts (DNUT): Dr. Giulia Marino
• Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts (DTRO): Dr. Karin Hannweg
• Division Horticulture for Development (DDEV): Dr. Melinda Knuth
• Division Ornamental Plants (DORN): Dr. Margherita Beruto
• Division Protected Cultivation and Soilless Culture (DPRO): Assoc. Prof. Youssef Rouphael
• Division Temperate Tree Fruits (DFRU): Prof. Luca Corelli Grappadelli
• Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering (DENG): Prof. In-Bok Lee
• Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers (DVEG): Prof. Dr. Ferdinando Branca
• Division Vine and Berry Fruits (DVIN): Prof. Dr. Bruno Mezzetti
• Division Postharvest and Quality Assurance (DPHQ): Prof. Giancarlo Colelli

2022 Election results - Chairpersons ISHS Commissions:

• Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems: Prof. Dr. Maria Claudia Dussi
  

ISHS Elections - Division Vice-Chairpersons (2022-2026) - result is available below (updated: July 21, 2022 - final results).
Elected Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons came into office at the IHC2022 (Angers, France August 2022) where the results of the elections were officially confirmed by the ISHS Council.

2022 Election results - Vice-Chairpersons ISHS Divisions (2022-2026):

• Division Horticulture for Human Health (DHEA): Prof. Dr. J.S. Bal
• Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture (DURB): Dr. Vivian Loges
• Division Physiology and Plant-Environment Interactions of Horticultural Crops in Field Systems (DPHY): Assoc. Prof. Ioannis Minas
• Division Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (DBIO): Dr. Sandhya Gupta
• Division Temperate Tree Nuts (DNUT): Prof. Santiago Pereira-Lorenzo
• Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts (DTRO): Prof. Dr. Zora Singh
• Division Horticulture for Development (DDEV): Dr. Rémi Kahane
• Division Ornamental Plants (DORN): Prof. Dr. Kexuan Tang
• Division Protected Cultivation and Soilless Culture (DPRO): Mr. Graeme Smith
• Division Temperate Tree Fruits (DFRU): Prof. George Manganaris
• Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering (DENG): Prof. Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Bournet
• Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers (DVEG): Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda
• Division Vine and Berry Fruits (DVIN): Prof. Dr. Arif Atak
• Division Postharvest and Quality Assurance (DPHQ): Dr. Sukhvinder Pal (SP) Singh

2022 Election results - Vice-Chairpersons ISHS Commissions:

• Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems: Dr. Pierre-Eric Lauri
  

All ISHS Elections are on invitation and for ISHS members-only.

The call for candidates and voting process is entirely web-based and all communications, invitations, notifications etc. are sent by e-mail (important: ISHS members are responsible for receiving e-mail messages sent to the e-mail account which is associated with their ISHS membership, therefore ISHS members are to keep their membership accounts updated at all time).

Members in ISHS Divisions whose membership is in good standing will automatically receive personalised announcements, invitations or instructions related to the election procedure for the Divisions they participate in. Such notifications are strictly personal and not transferable to other persons.

In order to be eligible to vote one must be a member in the respective Division by the closing date of the voting list which is prior to the start of the election procedure.

Individual ISHS membership is required.

ISHS Members should keep their membership accounts details updated; this includes selection the Divisions (and Working Groups) they choose to be associated with and/or to actively participate in.

Each individual member in a Division is entitled to cast one vote in each Division he/she belongs to.

Strict deadlines apply to each of the voting rounds. Exact deadlines are mentioned in the invitation letters. Votes or reactions received after the set closing date for each election round will not be considered. Duplicate, blank or incomplete votes are invalid. The voting process is private and confidential.

No person can stand for more than one office in the same election.

Each individual is limited to serve a maximum number of two (2) terms on the ISHS Executive Committee (Division Chairperson).
Each individual is limited to serve a maximum number of two (2) terms in the role of Division Vice-Chair.

As a rule, ISHS Secretariat it not organising elections for Chairs (and Vice-Chairs where applicable) in ISHS Working Groups; Working Group Chairs (and Vice-Chairs where applicable) get elected by simple majority at the time of the business meeting which is to take place during the ISHS symposium organised under the aegis of the ISHS Working Group involved.

• To check the status of your ISHS membership and/or to update your membership account in real-time use the manage/renew your membership link in the top right corner of the ISHS webpage or click here
• To get access to the ISHS membership directory (including membership lists for each Division, Commission, Working Group), navigate to membership>membership directory in the main navigation menu or click here

The Office of an ISHS Division Chair/Vice-Chair

In contrast to ISHS Council Members, who represent the general interests of their country and oversee the governance of the Society, a Chairperson of an ISHS Division is specifically involved with the scientific activities and interests of the ISHS. The Vice Chair supports the Chair in all aspects of the management of a Division and acts on behalf of the Chair whenever a Chair is not in a position to represent the Division, including representation at the Executive Committee.

• Each individual is limited to serve a maximum number of two (2) terms on the ISHS Executive Committee (Division Chairperson).
• Each individual is limited to serve a maximum number of two (2) terms in the role of Division Vice-Chair.

The Vice Chair is ex-officio entitled to act on behalf of the Chair whenever a Chair is not in a position to represent the Division. As a rule the Chair and Vice-Chair of a Division come from different countries.

The future of the ISHS is very dependent on how horticultural scientists world-wide regard our activities as being important to their own work and to the development of their particular discipline. Our structure, activities and publications must relate very closely to the requirements of our current and potential membership and it is essential that our symposia organisation, publications and other activities reflect the very highest scientific standards that the Society can achieve.

The reputation of the ISHS, already high in many areas, depends to a very large extent on the work of Divisions (previously Sections/Commissions). To achieve even higher standards, it is vital that they are actively led and are made up of members who will participate positively in all aspects of the programmes that are developed for them. Achieving a range of activities that are relevant to horticultural science must continue to be our aim; and we need to do this by further improving our scientific publications, increasing attendance at symposia; further developing our means of communication; and increasing our membership.

Topics related to the task as Division Chair can be summarized as follows:

1. Guiding Working Groups: Each ISHS Division has a number of Working Groups, some of them more active than others. Working Groups are groups of researchers, some members of the Society, others not, and it is these groups that initiate many of our activities. The Chairperson of a Working Group must be a member of the ISHS and is elected to the office by the ISHS members on the occasion of a business meeting of the Working Group, usually held every four years. It is important that you oversee the election of the Working Group Chair and make sure that appropriate candidates come forward for election.
2. Stimulate the Organisation of ISHS Symposia: As a guide, each ISHS Working Group should organise an ISHS Symposium every three to four years. Formal approval for ISHS support is granted by the ISHS Council and Executive Committee. The Chairperson of the Division will be the key contact for all Working Group Chairpersons and Symposia conveners for the plans, dates and venues for proposed symposia. The Division Chairperson will evaluate and bring these suggestions to the attention of the ISHS Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will deliberate on these proposals based on scientific content and interaction with other ISHS meetings. In case no proposals for future ISHS Symposia are received within periods between Executive Committee meetings, the Division Chairpersons should intervene in the activities of the Working Groups to ensure that a scientific programme is developed.
3. Attend the annual meeting of the Executive Committee: With his/her election to the office of the Chair of a Division, the Chair agrees to attend the annual meeting of the Executive Committee, a body of which he/she is automatically a member. The Society recognizes the importance of this task by providing annually some financial assistance: the level of this amount is decided by the ISHS Council. In case a Chair is not able to attend the meeting of the Executive Committee, he/she is requested to delegate his/her Vice Chair for that role.
4. Compose Division Membership Lists: Each Division must be comprised of ISHS members. The Society strives to appoint as members of the Divisions the most outstanding researchers within the scope of activities and interests of that Division. The Chairperson of the Division should forward names of future Division members and manage, in cooperation with the ISHS Secretariat, the Division membership list.
5. Produce Newsletters of the Division: In the past, several Divisions (previously Sections and Commissions) produced excellent newsletters on the activities of the Division and its Working Groups. During the meeting of Council, the importance of this information was acknowledged and confirmed. With electronic information exchange becoming more and more important, the Society anticipates that this may become the preferred method of disseminating information. Chairpersons of Divisions are urged to continue to publish newsletters and to initiate the set-up of new newsletters or websites as appropriate.
6. Promote and Represent the Society: Being outstanding researchers in the discipline related to the scope of a Division, the Society feels that it is primarily the chairpersons of the Division who should represent and promote the Society whenever possible; or to delegate this task to Vice-Chairpersons of the Division and to Working Group Chairpersons, as appropriate.
7. Liaise with the Board through the Secretariat: The ISHS Board is well aware that the position of chairperson of an ISHS Division is a time- and energy-consuming task carried out voluntarily in combination with your daily work. The ISHS Secretariat is able and willing to help you with Secretarial tasks whenever possible. The ISHS Secretariat will also ensure the dissemination of your reports and communications as required.

The Office of an ISHS Working Group Chair/Vice-Chair

In contrast to ISHS Council Members, who represent the general interests of their country and oversee the governance of the Society, a Chairperson of an ISHS Division or Working Group is specifically involved with the scientific activities and interests of the ISHS.

The reputation of the ISHS, already high in many areas, depends to a very large extent on the work of Divisions (previously Sections and Commissions) and their respective Working Groups. To achieve even higher standards, it is vital that they are actively led and are made up of ISHS members who will participate positively in all aspects of the programmes that are developed for them. Achieving a range of activities that are relevant to horticultural science must continue to be our aim; and we need to do this by further improving our scientific publications, increasing attendance at symposia; further developing our means of communication; and increasing our membership.

Topics related to the task as Working Group Chair can be summarized as follows:

1. Guiding Working Groups: Each ISHS Division has a number of Working Groups, some of them more active than others. Working Groups are groups of researchers, some members of the Society, others not, and it is these groups that initiate many of our activities. The Chairperson of a Working Group must be a member of the ISHS and is elected to the office by the ISHS members on the occasion of a business meeting of the Working Group, usually held every four years. It is important that a Chair in office oversees the nomination and election procedure of the Working Group Chair and make sure that appropriate candidates come forward for election.
2. Stimulate the Organisation of ISHS Symposia: As a guide, each ISHS Working Group should organise an ISHS Symposium every three to four years. Formal approval for ISHS support is granted by the ISHS Council and Executive Committee. The Chairperson of the Division will be the key contact for all Working Group Chairpersons and Symposia conveners for the plans, dates and venues for proposed symposia. The Division Chairperson will evaluate and bring these suggestions to the attention of the ISHS Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will deliberate on these proposals based on scientific content and interaction with other ISHS meetings. The Working Group Chair is expected to stimulate applications for future symposia. In case no proposals for future ISHS Symposia are received within periods between Executive Committee meetings, the Division Chairpersons will be entitled to initiate actions that will stimulate activities of the Working Groups to ensure that a scientific programme is developed.
3. Produce Newsletters: Today, several Divisions and Working Groups produce excellent newsletters reporting on their activities. With electronic information exchange becoming more and more important, the Society anticipates that the medium of electronic newsletters may become the preferred method of disseminating information. Chairpersons are urged to assist the Division Chairs in their efforts to publish newsletters and to initiate the set-up of new newsletters or websites as appropriate.
4. Promote and Represent the Society: Being outstanding researchers in the discipline related to the scope of a Working Group, the Society feels that it is primarily the Chair of a Division who should represent and promote the Society whenever possible. For this the Working Group Chair will assist the Chair of the Division as appropriate in this task. Liaise with the Chairperson of the relevant Division: The ISHS Board is well aware that the position of chairperson of an ISHS Working Group is a responsible task carried out voluntarily in combination with your daily work. The Chair of the Division remains available at all time to assist you in your task whenever necessary.