International meeting of forestry students

Two forestry students from South Africa recently attended the 51st International Forestry Students' Symposium in Germany. The students, Avelile Cishe from Nelson Mandela University and Siyanda Mbadamana from Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute, represented their respective universities, as well as other forestry institutes in South Africa including Stellenbosch University, University of Venda, University of Pretoria, and University of Mpumalanga.

The Symposium is the biggest annual meeting of the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA). It is a platform for forestry students from all over the world to come together to learn about the latest trends in forestry, network with their peers and share ideas.

The theme of this year's event was ‘Transforming forestry – getting ahead of current and future challenges’. The students discussed a wide range of topics, including climate change, forest management, and sustainable forest products. They also had the opportunity to visit several forests and forestry research centers in Germany. This gave them a firsthand look at the different ways that forests are managed in Germany.

“The Symposium was a great opportunity and an amazing experience to network with other forestry students and learn about the latest trends in the field. We learned so much about forestry and we met some great people from all over the world,” said Avelile.

Their attendance at the symposium was made possible with funding support from Nelson Mandela University, Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute, and the Germany Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Avelile and Siyanda said that they will be sharing their learnings and experiences with all the forestry universities in South Africa.

Report by Avelile Cishe, Regional Representative of the International Forestry Students' Association.