International Forestry Students' Association

The International Forestry Students' Association eV ( IFSA ) is an association of student councils of forest science and economy worldwide with the aim to promote the exchange among forestry students and offer extrakurrikuläre activities with international issues. It represents about 10,000 students.

  • 5.1 Professional Partners
  • 5.2 Student Partner

Development

The development of the IFSA began with the first held in 1973 in the United Kingdom organized by students International Forestry Students' Symposium ( IFSS ). This international meeting of forestry students enjoyed increasing popularity in the following years and was from 1986 also in other countries instead. To deepen the cooperation and communication between the students beyond the symposium, finally it was decided to establish solid structures. As a result, the IFSA was founded at the symposium in 1990 in Lisbon. Since then organize the regional IFSA groups, the meeting, which acts as the annual general meeting at the same time. Since the late 1990s, the organization became increasingly professionalism, particularly illustrating in the conclusion of numerous partnerships with other organizations, as well as in a multiplication of the budget and a stronger accent strategic elements in the planning of activities.

Objectives

Line with the Articles follows the IFSA objectives,

  • To enrich the formal training of specialists in forestry, particularly in terms of a broader perspective through activities, the exchange of information, seminars, and international and regional meetings and the like;
  • Helping to enable the members of a highly professional training;
  • To promote cooperation through networks between forestry students and forestry as well as related areas of the economy such as agriculture, law, etc., as well as other organizations whose activities affect the forestry sector ( development aid, climate policy, conservation, etc.).

Structure

The structure of the organization is with an international level, 8 regions and more than 60 regional groups (Local Committees ) in three stages. As a decision-making body acts the annual general meeting, in which the local committees are represented by up to three voting delegates from each local committee. Functional bodies of the Association are

  • The Executive Board, consisting of President, Vice - President, Treasurer and Secretary;
  • The International Secretariat (based in Freiburg, where the association is registered), which represents the central point of coordination;
  • The three-member advisory board, which forms the IFSA7 together with the Management Board and supervisory functions perceives;
  • Regional Representatives (by region mostly a delegate);
  • The various commissions
  • Liaisons ( liaison officers ) who perceive an interface function for the coordination of the IFSA with their partners.

Programs and activities

Commissions

" Commission" form the institutional framework for joint activities at the international level. It is open to all students of the Local Committee of IFSA, to participate in these working groups. Each Commission aims to achieve certain goals that are in context with the overall goals of the overall organization. The most important committees in recent years have

  • The exchange program as one of the central and oldest activities in the local organizing committee internships for students of the IFSA world;
  • The Commission for UN processes that enables participation in international conferences the students and written opinions from the Major Group on the UNFF. Here, the participation and representation of students should be guaranteed in forest policy processes. It is also responsible for the FPEN portal;
  • The Fundraising Commission to stabilize the finances;
  • The Commission Publicity and promotion for the representation of the organization to the outside.
  • The Language Commission for optimization of internal communication and external communication.

The club magazine IFSA News is published several times a year with a circulation of 2000 copies. Is operated by the IFSA also the platform Forest Policy Education Network ( FPEN ), and an alumni network.

Symposia

In addition to the IFSS, the annual symposium, since 1998 the conference takes the elected officials to the middle of the fiscal year ( Interim) instead. In addition, each of the 8 regions organized a meeting for the students of the respective Local Committees.

Activities at local level

From the Local Committee is partially offered a variety of activities, the spectrum of seminars on excursions to bilateral student exchanges and a variety of recreational activities ranges.

Partner organizations

Professional partners

IFSA is a partner of some of the major international organizations of forest policy as IUFRO, CIFOR, GTZ, the EFI and the SILVA network of professors of forestry in Europe; other international partners are the ITTO, UNESCO and FAO. The organization has observer status at the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe MCPFE, and represents the Major Group " Youth and Children" at the Forum on Forests UNFF United Nations. Within the United Nations, the IFSA has now reached the status of a Special Consultant.

Student partners

The IFSA is part of the Informal Forum International student organizations ( IFISO ) and jointly coordinated with other involved there student organizations activities such as fundraising, strategic planning or village concept projects.

IFSA in Germany

In Germany local committees are represented at the following universities and forestry colleges:

  • Technical University of Dresden
  • Albert -Ludwigs- University of Freiburg
  • Georg -August- University of Göttingen
  • Technical University of Munich
  • Academy of Forestry of Rottenburg
  • University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde
Official language Politics of global warming Center for International Forestry Research European Forest Institute
415175
de