The International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) concluded its second Executive Committee meeting on June 28, 2026, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, following its relocation to Beijing at the end of December 2025. The meeting was chaired by IUMRS President P. S. Anil Kumar.
The Executive Committee discussed a number of agenda items concerning the Union’s strategic development and future activities.
The Committee supported the suggestion to establish the “IUMRS Fellow Program” to recognize scientists for their contributions to materials research and to IUMRS. The Secretariat was tasked with drafting an implementation framework for review at the next Executive Committee meeting.
The Committee then turned to a proposal for the “Global Summit of Leading Materials Scientists”. According to the proposal, the summit would be a high-level scientific platform intended to bring together outstanding experts to address global challenges through materials science. The first summit is tentatively scheduled for 2027 in Haikou, Hainan Province, China, and would be co-organized by the Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS) and IUMRS.
The Committee confirmed appointments to several IUMRS commissions and discussed plans to hold the 2026 or 2027 IUMRS General Assembly in conjunction with the IUMRS International Conference in Asia (IUMRS-ICA).
Professor Sanjay Mathur led a discussion on using the IUMRS conference system to support the Union’s long-term financial sustainability and development capacity.
The Committee also discussed updates to the IUMRS official website and encouraged member societies to share information about their academic activities through the site.
The Committee addressed the Union’s relationship with the International Science Council (ISC), and decided to establish a new direct liaison mechanism, with coordination to be managed by the IUMRS headquarters office. Professors Zengzhi Zhang and Ms. Pingping Liu were designated as the primary contacts.
The Committee also confirmed IUMRS’s participation in the upcoming 2026 ISC Midterm Membership Meeting, to be held by the International Science Council in Beijing this October. During the meeting, the “Beijing Science Dialogue” satellite symposia will be co-hosted by the Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS) and IUMRS.
President Kumar concluded the session by reaffirming IUMRS’s commitment to driving innovation and global cooperation in materials science, while the Executive Committee extended its sincere thanks to the Materials Research Society of Thailand (MRS-Thailand) for its generous support with venue arrangements and warm hospitality throughout the meeting.
