So what is the IUMS?
According to its website, the ‘IUMS is one of the 31 Scientific Unions of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). ICSU is a non-governmental organisation with a global membership of national scientific bodies (120 Members, representing 140 countries) and International Scientific Unions (31 Members).’
The ‘IUMS has 96 national member societies and 26 associate member societies spread throughout the world.’
The stated mission of the IUMS ‘is to foster and promote international exchange, dialogue and collaboration amongst the international community of microbiologists involved in the discovery and applied sciences as well as in development of policy. We seek to align all microbiological societies in raising awareness of the importance of microorganisms in sustaining every form of life on the planet through working towards, and advocating strongly for, the preservation of global microbial diversity.’
The huge potential of the IUMS
The first thing I note from the information the IUMS website provides is that it self-identifies as the global voice of microbiology, representing in excess of 100 learned societies. Though I do not know how many professional microbiologists this reflects, it is obviously huge. That is: the potential for achievement of the IUMS is huge (https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14450). And if, as a member of ICSU, it may influence other scientific unions, the reach of the IUMS could be super-huge.
A new legend at the helm
Since its founding in 1927, the IUMS has had legendary Presidents, like Jules Bordet (Nobel Prize), MacFarlane Burnet (Nobel Prize), André Lwoff (Nobel Prize) and Rita Colwell. Continuing this tradition, the IUMS now has a new legendary, inspirational microbiologist as President, Rino Rappuoli, who pioneered genomic-centric vaccinology and whose group created new vaccines that have prevented the loss of an enormous number of lives worldwide (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYplTsgn2A).
A world in turmoil, in desperate need of microbiology-centric solutions
The world of the 21st century is a world of rapid change, a world needing rapid and effective adaptation measures, a world needing inspirational leadership. Microbiology has indisputably a significant role to play in a diverse range of pressing challenges (https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14224). The IUMS is perfectly positioned to provide leadership in microbiology and beyond, to influence policy, and to promote implementation of microbiological solutions and mitigation strategies and measures. Rino is determined to have the IUMS punch above its weight and take on its preordained role of leadership in microbiology, so we can anticipate important developments in the near future.
This series of opinion pieces
Rino asked me to contribute opinion pieces for the IUMS website, I suspect to provoke discussion among the international microbiology community of issues where the IUMS could play a galvanising role. In accepting this challenge, I intend to be ambitious, provocative and global in scope, always with a view to stimulating increased application of microbiology for the betterment of humanity and the biosphere, always with a view to identifying potential contributions of the IUMS, its constituent societies, and the members thereof, in such roles. Some of these topics will relate to issues like
I hope that these opinion pieces and, more importantly, the discussions they may provoke, can contribute in some small measure to attainment of the strategic goals of the IUMS, and look forward with much pleasure to serving the IUMS and the microbiologists it represents.
As my treasured friend, Dave Stahl, says: On and up!
Kenneth Timmis
