Highlights from the 2025 IUSSP General Assembly

Zoom meeting, 13 November 2025 

 

The IUSSP held its quadrennial General Assembly virtually on 13 November 2025, bringing 130 members together online to reflect on achievements from the past four years and to preview priorities for the next term. While the plenary portion allowed only limited time for discussion, members engaged more deeply during breakout sessions with Scientific Panels, which drew strong participation across themes and career stages.

 

Looking Back: Achievements and Challenges

 

Outgoing President Shireen Jejeebhoy opened the Assembly with reflections on a productive 4-year mandate marked by:
 

  • A vibrant scientific programme with 24 active panels, numerous seminars, webinars and training events, and special journal issues.
     
  • A successful IPC 2025 in Brisbane, gathering 1,300 participants from nearly 100 countries.
     
  • Receipt of the 2025 UN Population Award—IUSSP became the proud winner of the 2025 United Nations Population Award, for the evidence we have generated, the capacity we have built, and the networks we have facilitated across the globe.
     
  • Expanded support for early-career demographers, including a new Early Career Panel and the Early Career Awards.
     
  • Growing collaboration with regional associations and the addition of new institutional members.

She also noted persistent challenges: shifting donor priorities, shrinking core funding, and increasingly restrictive academic environments.

 

Report on Activities and Finances

 

Secretary General Nico van Nimwegen summarized IUSSP’s scientific activities, publications, training efforts, and partnerships. He highlighted:

 

  • Continued strong engagement across 24 Scientific Panels, including two recently created.
     
  • Receipt of the UN Population Award recognizing IUSSP’s global leadership since 1928, promoting international collaborations and helping to build capacity in demography and population studies.  Growth in institutional affiliation and stabilization of membership trends, even as professional association membership becomes less automatic for early-career scholars.
     
  • High-quality outputs from IUSSP panels and special projects funded by the Gates Foundation and IDRC-Canada.
     
  • The scientific strength and logistical success of IPC 2025, made possible through the work of reviewers, conveners, volunteers, and partners in Australia.
     
  • A stable financial position with €2.1M in reserves, though future sustainability remains a concern given declining donor support.

Members approved the 2021–2024 activities and financial report-.

 

Breakout Sessions with Scientific Panels
 

Participants then joined “meet and greet” breakout rooms with ten Scientific Panels, covering topics from abortion research to migration, climate change, kinship, mortality, demographic terminology, reproductive justice, and early-career perspectives. These exchanges provided rich opportunities for members to learn about ongoing work and future plans.

 

A New Council and a New Quadrennium

 

Incoming President Laura Wong presented the 2026–2029 Council, the 2029 Committee on Nominations, and welcomed Shireen Jejeebhoy as Honorary President.  She emphasized the importance of member engagement, the centrality of scientific panels, and preparations for IUSSP’s 100th anniversary in 2028. She encouraged young demographers to propose new panel initiatives and help shape the Union’s future.

 

Looking Ahead to IPC 2029 – Barcelona

 

Albert Esteve (IUSSP Council Member and Director of the Centre for Demographic Studies - CED) and Mariona Lozano (Research Fellow, CED) shared early plans for IPC 2029, to be held 23–27 July 2029 at Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s Ciutadella campus in Barcelona, with hybrid options for large plenaries and an opening ceremony at a major cultural venue.

 

Explore the Full Materials

 

Members are invited to dive deeper into the discussion and decisions:


Thank You to All Members
 

Your participation — whether in person or online — continues to strengthen the IUSSP community and its mission. We look forward to working together to advance population research over the next four years.
 

Watch a video of the 2025 IUSSP General Assembly: