Dear IAWA members and colleagues,

The 12th Annual Conference of IAWA (International Association of Wood Anatomists)-China Group & the 16th China-Korea-Japan Joint Seminar on Wood Quality and Utilization will be held in Harbin, China from August 15th to 17th, 2025. The theme of this conference is "Exploring Nature of Wood to Ensure Wood Security and Quality".

This conference is hosted by the IAWA-China Group and organized by the Northeast Forestry University of China, with support by the Chinese National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program “Revision of Atlas of Chinese Woods”.

We cordially invite you to participate in this conference.

I. Conference Organization

1. Host: International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA)-China Group
2. Organizer: Northeast Forestry University, China
3. Co-sponsors:

• Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology, Ministry of Education (Northeast Forestry University, China)

• Engineering Research Center of Advanced Wooden Materials, Ministry of Education (Northeast Forestry University, China)

• China (Harbin) Forest Museum

• CITES Laboratories Conducting Wildlife Forensic Testing (Wood and Wood Products)

• Wood Specimen Resource Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China

• Innovation Alliance for Wood Specimen Resource of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China

• ' EyeWood ' Wood Science Information Platform (Southwest Forestry University, China)

II. Conference Date and Venue

1. Registration Time:

• 14:00–20:00 (UTC+8), 15 August 2025（NEFU Expert Apartment）

• 08:00–08:30 (UTC+8), 16 August 2025（NEFU Expert Apartment）

2. Conference Time:

All day on August 16-17, 2025

3. Venue: 

Aulin College, Northeast Forestry University (session groupings will be specified in the final circular)

III. Sub-themes of Conference and Call for Papers/Abstracts

The sub-themes include but are not limited to:

1. Development trends in wood anatomy

2. Construction of digital platforms for wood specimens

3. Wood formation and structure-function relationships

4. Identification and preservation of archaeological wooden remains

5. Bamboo and wood anatomy enabling efficient utilization

6. Advanced research on novel wood-based materials

7. Research on Tree-ring Climate Relationships

8. Identification and protection of endangered woody plants

Call for Papers/Abstracts: The conference will publish an electronic proceedings (including abstracts) as internal reference materials (this will not affect the submission of papers to formal journals). Topics of paper/abstracts include but are not limited to the eight sub-themes mentioned above. Please submit your papers or abstracts to the conference secretariat by July 30, 2025. The conference will feature an 'Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation Award' competition, with certificates to be awarded.

Poster Presentation: The conference will include poster presentations. Posters should be designed in A0 format (1189 mm×841 mm) using PowerPoint and submitted to the conference secretariat by July 30, 2025. The organizing committee will arrange for unified printing.

IV. Conference Program

15 August 2025

• 14:00-20:00 Registration

16 August 2025

• 08:00-08:30 Registration

• 08:30-09:00 Opening Ceremony

• 09:00-10:00 Keynote Presentations

• 10:00-10:30 Group Photo & Coffee Break

• 10:30-12:00 Keynote Presentations

• 12:00-14:00 Lunch

• 14:00-17:30 Parallel Sessions

• 18:00-20:00 Dinner

17 August 2025

• 08:30-10:00 Parallel Sessions

• 10:00-10:30 Poster & Coffee Break

• 10:30-12:00 Parallel Sessions

• 12:00-12:30 Closing Ceremony (Award Presentation)

• 12:30-14:00 Lunch

V. The 3rd Wood Microscopy Skills Competition

1. Competition Introduction

The 3rd "Wood Microscopy Skills Competition" is hosted by the IAWA- China Group, organized by the Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology (Northeast Forestry University) and co-organized by the ' EyeWood ' Wood Science Information Platform (Southwest Forestry University). As an important activity of this symposium, the competition aims to provide a platform for young scholars to exchange experiences and learn from each other, promoting the improvement of wood microscopy section preparation skills among young scholars.

2. Competition Content

● Participants: Researchers, young scholars, and students in wood science-related fields from home and abroad, who may register individually or as teams.

● Content: Microscopic structure images of wood, bamboo, rattan, fruit shells, and other woody biomass samples, along with detailed information about the preparation process.

● Requirements: Participants should provide microscopic images based on specific research objectives. In addition to microscopic images, participants need to submit a detailed description of the section preparation process, including:

• Sample name (with Latin name)

• Sampling method

• Storage conditions

• Treatment process

• Embedding process (if needed)

• Staining process (if needed)

• Sectioning method (freehand or using a      microtome)

• Photography process

• Image processing procedures

This information should be presented in PowerPoint or video format.

3. Competition Schedule

● Registration Period: Individuals or teams should complete the competition registration form (Attachment 2) and submit it to the conference secretariat by July 30, 2025.

● Submission: According to the competition requirements, please send your work images or PPT, as well as detailed preparation process documentation and/or video materials, packaged and sent to the secretariat by July 30, 2025. The organizing committee will arrange for expert evaluations combined with public voting to assess the competition entries based on criteria such as microscopic structural features, image presentation quality, and section preparation difficulty, selecting 6 winning entries to be announced during the conference.

4. Awards and Prizes
The First Prize (1 recipient): Certificate and ¥ 2,000 CNY cash prize;

The Second Prize (2 recipients): Certificate and ¥ 1,000 CNY cash prize;

The Third Prize (3 recipients): Certificate and ¥ 800 CNY cash prize;

Excellence Awards (multiple recipients): Certificate.

VI. Registration, Transportation, and Accommodation

1. Registration fees for participants are shown in the table below.

Member Type	Delegate Type	Fee
		By July 31, 2025（early bird registration）	From July 31, 2025
IAWA-China Group	Regular Member	¥ 600 CNY/person	¥ 1000 CNY/person
	Student Member	¥ 400 CNY/person	¥ 600 CNY/person
Non-member of IAWA-China Group	Conference Delegate	¥ 1,000 CNY /person	¥ 1,500 CNY /person

● Payment QR Code

2. Participants are responsible for their own accommodation expenses and the round-trip transportation costs. The conference does not arrange for pick-up services; delegates should make their own way to the conference venue.

3. Please return the conference registration form (Attachment 1) to the conference contact person by July 25, 2025 to arrange accommodation.

4. Conference Hotels:

Northeast Forestry University Expert Apartment

Mercure Hotel Harbin Hexing Road (NEFU)

Note: Summer is the peak tourist season in Harbin, and hotel rooms for the conference are limited. We encourage attendees to register as early as possible.

VII. Conference Secretariat

1. Contact: Qiu Zhe
Phone: +86 18800463458
Email: zxqiuzhe@163.com
WeChat: 18800463458

2. Contact: Cui Xinjie
Phone: +86 15900302035
Email: Cuixinjie_1212@126.com
WeChat: 15900302035

3. Contact: Ren Zechun
Phone: +86 13694332586
Email: yourong_rzc@163.com
WeChat: 13694332586

Northeast Forestry University

June 24, 2025