Summer 2004 Newsletter :The XXII World 's Poultry Congress

As you receive this Newsletter, many WPSA members from around the world will be assembling in Istanbul, Turkey, for the XXII World's Poultry Congress, which runs from 8 - 13 June. This is the culmination of more than four year's work by the Organizing Committee of the Turkish Branch of WPSA and the International Program Committee of seventeen, which includes UK members Dr Dave Cavanagh, Prof Geoff Mead and Prof Colin Whitehead. Once again, many of our members will be presenting papers and chairing some of the many scientific sessions to be held at the Congress.

World Congresses have been held in many countries since the first one in the Netherlands in 1921 and competition is fierce for the honour of staging them. The last six have been held in Europe (2), Asia (2), South and North America, and the next one is due to be held in 2008 in Brisbane, Australia. The venue for the 2012 Congress will be announced at the Istanbul Council Meeting on 11 June.

The UK Branch has nominated its quota of eight Councillors to attend the Council Meeting and to cast their votes according to the decisions of UK Branch Council. Representing us at this important meeting will be Dr Tom Acamovic, Mr Andrew Ball, Dr James Bentley, Ms Lorna Craig, Dr Paul Hocking, Dr Kelvin McCracken, Dr Nick Sparks and Prof Christopher Wathes.

Among other important issues to be covered at the meeting is the election of the next World President, Secretary and Treasurer together with one Senior Vice-President and four Vice-Presidents. There are single nominees for the three officeholders and the UK Branch has a strong candidate for Vice-President. We look forward to announcing the result of these elections in our Autumn issue.

In addition there will be Presentations of 5 members for the International Poultry Hall of Fame, for which the UK has two candidates of international repute, and also the election of Honorary Life Members. The results of these elections will also feature in our next issue.

At each World Poultry Congress, the Organizing Committee invites undergraduate and graduate students to submit a paper, either oral or poster, to be presented at the Congress under the Youth Program. There is also a parallel Fellowship Program for other young scientists. Successful applicants are rewarded by having their accommodation and Congress registration fees paid for them.

In order to encourage UK students to take part, the UK Branch itself then offered two grants of £500 each to students attending under on of these Programs. Six applications were received and were considered by the four senior officers of the Branch. After deliberation it was decided to split the money equally between three of the younger scientists:

• Michelle Lewis from Harper Adams University College
• Ros Mayne from Roslin Institute (Edinburgh)
• Athanasios Pappas from SAC Auchincruive

Regrettably Ros Mayne has had to decline this offer, but we congratulate the other two winners and we wish them a successful Congress.