Welcoming Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro

We are honoured to announce Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro as one of our distinguished speakers. As the CEO of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and an expert in innovation, gender equity, and sustainable prosperity creation, Dr. Ubalijoro will bring her wealth of experience to the forefront of global forest discussions.

Born in Rwanda, home to what’s likely the best preserved montane rainforest in Africa, and raised on three continents, Dr Ubalijoro knew from a young age that she wanted a career in service to the world. This led her to earn a doctorate in molecular genetics from McGill University, where she studied improving productivity in agriculture. Since then, her career has spanned academia, the private sector, and the non-profit and international development sectors. From starting out as a scientific director in biotechnology, working in molecular diagnostics, to pivoting to focus on sustainable development and improving the lives of women and smallholder farmers in the Global South, Dr Ubalijoro has a passion and commitment to transformative change.

Recognized for her work in leadership and gender equity, Dr Ubalijoro is a recipient of the International Leadership Association‘s 2022 awards in women and leadership for outstanding practice with broad impact and is part of a cohort of appointed International Science Council fellows in recognition for outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good.

She is looking forward to the World Congress as it’s the only global congress of its kind dedicated solely to forests. As CIFOR-ICRAF has been a longstanding partner of IUFRO and will be co-hosting the World Congress in Nairobi in 2029, this will be a wonderful opportunity to share some of the innovative solutions in forestry the Global South can share with the world.

“Science plays a critical role in the theme of “Forests and society towards 2050”, and the Congress offers a chance to look forward far into the future and dream audaciously about what we can collectively achieve. Forest research is becoming increasingly important as it offers a knowledge base for sustainable solutions to the intersecting crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity”, says Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro ans continues:

 

“The Congress is an opportunity to highlight the research that IUFRO partners drive forward and to make a case for how we turn this research into practice in the lives of millions of forest and farm owners, producers and stewards. And, it’s an opportunity to shift the narrative and to see how we can increase funding and action on the ground as we look forward to 2050.”

CIFOR-ICRAF has been leveraging its scientific expertise and know-how to produce some of the technological innovations needed globally over the next 25 years. Together with IUFRO partners, forestry research leaders, youth, women, and Indigenous peoples can bring together the resources needed to protect, restore, and use forests responsibly.

You can listen to Dr Ubalijoro at session S5.1 Forest Futures on Friday, June 28, 02:30 – 03:30 PM in session room A4.