UNFPA-India session congratulating IUSSP on receiving the 2025 UN Population Award at the IASP Annual Conference

Kolkata, India, 27–29 November 2025

 

At the 46th Annual Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP), held 27–29 November 2025 in Kolkata, India UNFPA India formally felicitated the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) for receiving the 2025 United Nations Population Award (Institutional Category). The session, chaired by Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director for Bhutan, highlighted IUSSP’s long-standing contributions to advancing global population science, fostering collaboration across regions, and strengthening capacity for demographic research.

 

In her address, Shireen Jejeebhoy, IUSSP President (2022–2025), described the award as a powerful affirmation of IUSSP’s leadership in generating rigorous evidence, building research capacity, and convening global networks. Reflecting on her own early career experience as an IUSSP seminar participant, she emphasized the organisation’s commitment to academic excellence, egalitarian collaboration, and mentorship across generations. She also outlined key achievements from the last four years, including the work of 24 scientific panels, successful publication outputs, a highly attended International Population Conference (IPC) 2025 in Brisbane, and the strengthening of initiatives for early-career scholars and institutional partnerships.

 

Shireen Jejeebhoy also noted the growing challenges facing the population field—rising inequalities, below-replacement fertility in some regions and continuing high fertility in others, climate- and conflict-induced mobility, political instability, and threats to data quality and academic freedom. She highlighted the need for demographic research to go beyond traditional data systems, including digital data and artificial intelligence, and underscored the urgency of informed policy dialogue at a time of widespread demographic anxieties and misinformation.

 

Mary Ellen Zuppan, IUSSP Executive Director, highlighted the Union’s core activities and opportunities for engagement. She outlined IUSSP’s global membership and its scientific programme, driven by member-led panels addressing emerging population challenges. She also emphasized the Union’s commitment to capacity strengthening through training, mentoring and online tools, as well as its dissemination platforms, including N-IUSSP, the Bulletin and IPC Working Papers. She encouraged IASP members to participate in upcoming calls for new panels and in preparations for the next International Population Conference in Barcelona in 2029, inviting members to stay engaged and contribute to the Union’s vibrant community.

 

Panelists, from left to right: KG Santhya, Suresh Sharma, Andrea Wojnar, Shireen Jejeebhoy, Niranjan Saggurti and Kajori Banerjee on stage during the felicitation ceremony at the 46th IASP Annual Conference.

 

Panel Reflections: The Value of IUSSP’s Scientific Community

 

A panel discussion moderated by Shireen Jejeebhoy brought together a group of IUSSP members in India:  Krishnamurthi Srinivasan, Kajori Banerjee, K.G. Santhya, and Niranjan Saggurti. The speakers reflected on IUSSP’s unique strengths:
 

  • its unfiltered, uncensored space for scientific exchange;
     
  • a deep commitment to data quality and methodological rigor;
     
  • an egalitarian and supportive environment that nurtures junior demographers;
     
  • the role of IUSSP activities in inspiring lifelong engagement with demography.

Panelists proposed future directions, including strengthening virtual activities to broaden accessibility, continued investment in scientific panels, and fresh initiatives for early-career researchers. 

 

UNFPA Perspectives

 

Andrea Wojnar underscored the critical role of population scientists in addressing today’s multi-dimensional challenges—from climate change to migration, aging, and equitable development. She encouraged demographers and institutions like IUSSP to deepen engagement with multidisciplinary forums, noting that complex demographic issues require integrated approaches.

 

UNFPA highlighted that India’s demographic trajectory, including its large youth population, presents both opportunities and responsibilities. Evidence-based policies grounded in high-quality demographic data remain essential for ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.

 

Closing Reflections

 

Participants echoed strong appreciation for IUSSP’s global role, its scientific leadership, and its spirit of collegiality. The session closed with a call to sustain and strengthen support for the Union—intellectually, financially, and through broader partnerships—as it prepares to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities confronting the population field.