Dear InterPore colleagues,

InterPore activity was significantly affected in the past years by the pandemic crisis. This created several challenges that InterPore members successfully overcame. InterPore Annual International Conferences were particularly impacted. After two years of online conferences, and thanks to a generous proposal from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, participants at the 2022 event were particularly pleased to meet again in-person! The event, however, was organized as a hybrid conference. A first-time experience for InterPore! We believe that the offer of online participation will remain a necessity in the future for many reasons besides the pandemic for instance, budget problems, carbon footprint, etc… However, while the overall 2022 experience was satisfactory, feedback from participants suggested to bring modifications to the full hybrid organization in order to limit some disruptions observed with the format adopted this year. Please have a look at the presentation of InterPore2023 on the dedicated website to see details of the decisions that were taken, with the goal of favoring direct physical interaction which is so essential for our work efficiency, and promoting social interaction within our community. Everyone is invited in 2023 to Edinburgh to make it a great InterPore Conference!

The pandemic was not the only source of turbulence for our society and the world. It is a sign of InterPore maturity that we were able to broaden the scope of our actions to more general considerations, while remaining on the legitimate tracks of a scientific organization. There are so many concerns that need to be addressed, like the situation of scientists caught in severe conflicts (e.g., war in Ukraine, situation of scientists and students in Iran, etc…), implications of global warming, energy transition, independence of researchers from various political pressures. To join efforts with other scientific societies on these subjects, InterPore became a member of the International Science Council, a gathering of more than 200 organizations aimed at making science a public good (see ISC article, or ask Tannaz Pak, who serves as liasion between ISC and InterPore). Along the same lines, the actions to improve InterPore diversity, equality and inclusiveness gained more momentum this year with the creation of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, chaired by Tiina Roose. Finally, our efforts to develop InterPore in Africa paid off with the kick-off meeting on 27 Oct. 2022 of the West Africa InterPore Chapter (WAIC). We hope that other chapters will follow!

2022 saw intense activity by various committees, thanks to the dedication and active participation of their chairs and members. We briefly review below the more significant actions.

The National Chapter Committee, led by Didier Lasseux, continues to encourage activities and new initiatives in existing chapters while promoting the creation of new ones. A National Chapters meeting was organized in March 2022. National Chapters are an important forum for countries to form networks among their members from various institutions, universities and industry. They are also a remarkable opportunity for interconnecting the international porous-media community. Existing chapters have organized many important events in 2022, such as national conferences. This represents a very important part of InterPore activity and influence. The National Chapters award, created in 2020 in recognition of chapter activity was attributed to the France Chapter for the year 2021. The potential for the creation of new Chapters is still very strong. In 2022, in addition to the West Africa Chapter, the Greece Chapter was also created. In addition, 2023 will see the creation of many others, including the North Africa Chapter, the Japan Chapter, the Midwest and Northeast US Chapter, and the Hong Kong Chapter. This is extremely exciting and encouraging for others to be created.

The InterPore Academy, led by Brian Berkowitz, is in the process of organizing future activities on the basis of a new development plan.

Webinars will be offered by leading scientists, on “hot” topics, where possible in a “live format”, with an in-person lecture that is broadcast online. The Webinar will generally be recorded and remain available on the InterPore website for a set period of time (3-6 months). The first speaker in this series will be Dr. Maša Prodanović, with a Webinar scheduled for January 10, 2023, at 9 AM CST (4 PM CET).

A Short Course program with a detailed outline to develop a fixed “menu” of courses has been formulated, with the philosophy being to offer live/hybrid courses on a rotating basis, every 2-3 years, to match cycles of new students studying for graduate degrees. Courses offered to date will be integrated with several planned new courses, and the offering will be expanded in the future. New short courses are already scheduled during the InterPore meeting in Edinburgh, and in the months to come. Where possible, the courses will be given live, using an online platform that enables real-time lecturer-participant interaction; ideally, some participants will attend in person at the lecturer’s home institution.

The InterPore Foundation, led by Steffen Berg, will in 2023 begin its 7th year of porous media education and promotion. There is exciting news. The Kimberly-Clark distinguished lectureship award has been extended for another three years and we are very grateful for Kimberly-Clark for the continued trust and support in the InterPore Foundation, and all the other current and former sponsors of awards such as PoreLab, MDPI Energies, and Dr. Betty-May Pontedeiro for their endowment for specific awards, and an increasing number of individual donors.

These donations have allowed the Foundation to support students and young scientists from low-income countries with grants to attend the annual InterPore conference in Abu Dhabi.

For more information please check-out the video on the InterPore Foundation website and consider making a donation in support for the Foundation activities such as conference grants.

I hope that conditions will improve next year for all of us and that we are able to gather in Edinburgh for thriving discussions and friendly social interactions.

Wishing you the best for the Holiday Season and a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Stay safe,

Michel Quintard
President of InterPore