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Dear IIF member, On behalf of the IIF Board of Directors, I wish you and your families a joyful and prosperous New Year 2025! It is both an honor and a privilege to have been elected as President of the IIF during our recent Board Meeting in Dijon. I sincerely thank the Board members for placing their trust in me. As I step into this role, I am humbled by the legacy of our esteemed past Presidents – an inspiring list of leaders who have shaped the Institute’s vision: https://forecasters.org/about/us/. As we look back on 2024, I would like to take a moment to celebrate some of our key accomplishments, in addition to the Institute’s regular activities. Our annual International Symposium on Forecasting was a tremendous success, and Mohsen Hamoudia and I were delighted to host you in the beautiful region of Burgundy, France. With more than 500 participants from around the globe, the event featured a vibrant program including 6 keynote speakers, 9 practitioner talks, a summer school attended by 35 participants, and 5 specialized workshops. The enthusiasm and exchange of ideas were truly remarkable. We organized a heartfelt workshop in Lancaster to honor the memory of our dear colleague, John Boylan – a cherished friend of the IIF, a Fellow of the Institute and the General Chair of ISF 2024 in Oxford. The workshop brought together academics and practitioners to share insights and celebrate John’s lasting influence on the field of forecasting. It was a fitting tribute to a remarkable individual whose contributions will continue to inspire us. In collaboration with the Society for Nonlinear Dynamics and Econometrics, we hosted our first one-day virtual workshop for young researchers in November. The event attracted 70 high-quality submissions, and it was inspiring to witness the exceptional talent and creativity of the next generation of forecasters. Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be another remarkable year for the IIF, with two major events on the horizon. For the first time in IIF history, we will head to China for the 45th ISF, which will be held in Beijing from June 29 to July 2. The IIF Board of Directors is thrilled about this milestone event, and we can’t wait to see you all there. In addition, we are organizing the 2025 Foresight Practitioner Conference at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, taking place from March 3-4. This conference will bring together leading forecasting practitioners and business leaders to network, share knowledge, and explore emerging trends in forecasting. At this conference we will also host IIF’s first Forecasting Practice Competition. The winning company or institution will receive our award for the Impact of Forecasting in Practice, sponsored by IIF. Beyond these major events, we will continue our ongoing activities, including program certification, academic workshops, the summer school, funding of research, distinguished lectures, … I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the directors in charge of these programs and the leaders of our thematic sections for their invaluable contributions. Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the changes within the Board of Directors in 2024. A heartfelt thank you to Doris Wu and Shouyang Wang for their contributions to the Institute over the past four years. I would also like to express my gratitude to Gloria Gonzalez-Rivera, who completed her term as Past-President, Gloria, your dedication to the IIF and the incredible ISF 2015 in Riverside will always be remembered – thank you for your loyalty to the IIF! A warm welcome to Ulrich Gunter and Yanfei Kang, who have joined the Board, and congratulations to Anastasios Panagiotelis on being re-elected for another term. I would also like to once again warmly thank Pam Stroud, our past IIF business director, for her amazing work over the years, and to welcome Ying Fry, who will take on this crucial role for the Institute. As we embark on 2025, I look forward to continuing this momentum and working with all of you to advance the mission of the IIF. Thank you for being part of this vibrant community, and here’s to another year of collaboration, innovation, and success! With my warm regards, |
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Laurent Ferrara President, International Institute of Forecasters |