Looking Ahead Together: A Message from the ISES President
Dear ISES members and friends,
It is a great pleasure to write to you for the first time as President of the International Solar Energy Society.
My connection with ISES goes back to the beginning of my PhD in 2020, when an ISES conference, held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was also the first scientific conference I ever attended. But it was EuroSun2022 in Kassel that really changed my relationship with the Society. I had attended other conferences by then, and many more have followed since, but there was something about that week that stayed with me. It is still difficult to pinpoint exactly what made it so special, but the people, the atmosphere and the sense of belonging made me want to become more involved with ISES.
That experience led me to become an ISES member and, a couple of years later, to run for the Board of Directors as a Young ISES representative. I was fortunate to be elected alongside Gurleen Kaur, with the two of us taking over from Aline Kirsten, who is now joining me in this new term as Vice-President.
Looking back at that journey, having the opportunity to now serve as President is something I certainly would not have imagined back in Kassel. It is both a great honor and a responsibility that I take on with a lot of enthusiasm.
For me, that journey also says something important about ISES. It is a Society where people from different countries, backgrounds, career stages and generations can find a place to contribute. I hope we can continue strengthening that spirit and, in particular, ensure that younger generations and new voices have meaningful opportunities to participate and help shape the future of the Society.
ISES has an extraordinary history, but what makes it special is the people behind it. Across our members, Sections, Board, partners, volunteers and Headquarters team, there is an enormous range of knowledge, experience and perspectives that we can draw on. I believe one of our most important tasks is to make the most of that strength by connecting people, creating opportunities for collaboration and making it easier for members to get involved.
As we begin this new Board term, this is also a good moment to think about where ISES should go next. We should build on what already works well, while remaining open to new ideas and to doing some things differently.
There are several areas where I believe we can strengthen the Society. I would like to see ISES increase its visibility and digital presence, become more active as a partner in international research projects, and deepen its engagement with industry. I also see opportunities to make the knowledge generated through our journals more accessible to broader audiences, involve members more directly through working groups and task forces, strengthen our relationship with ISES Sections, and support the development of new student chapters. I would also like us to think ambitiously about our conferences: how we can take our existing events to the next level and, why not, explore the possibility of developing new regional conferences in other parts of the world, building on the experience and success of EuroSun.
These are not things I can or intend to pursue alone. I want this to be a collaborative term, working closely with our Headquarters team and drawing on the ideas, experience and energy of our Board, members, Sections and partners. Above all, I would like everyone to feel that ISES is a Society they can actively help shape, not simply an organization they belong to.
EuroSun2026 in Freiburg will give us a great opportunity to start many of these conversations.
There is a lot ahead of us, and I am very excited to get started. Thank you to everyone who contributes their time, ideas and energy to ISES. I look forward to working with you over the coming years, and to seeing many of you in Freiburg in September.
Warm regards,
Francisco Beltrán
President
International Solar Energy Society
