Twenty-Seventh Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography

Welcome to Calgary: A Message from the Chair

The triennial IUCr Congress is the world's premier international meeting for crystallographic and structural science.  In Calgary, we have prepared an exciting and diverse scientific program, which includes 21 workshops, 2 satellite schools, a 7-day software fayre, 3 plenary lectures and 26 keynote lectures, including lectures from the recipients of four prestigious IUCr Awards, and 142 microsymposia. The Congress is also engaged in outreach to the wider community through a public lecture hosted at a local college and through participation at a local physics camp for elementary-school children. 

Beyond the scientific program, we hope you will join us for the opening ceremony and welcome reception, where you can reconnect with friends and colleagues and experience a taste of local culture. The IUCr Early Career Scientists Division has thoughtfully organized an evening networking mixer to foster new professional relationships, as well as a career-exploration panel to support the next generation of researchers. The Congress dinner and rodeo will feature good food and memorable western-style entertainment, and the closing ceremony will set the stage for another successful Congress in 2029.

Southern Alberta is home to the spectacular alpine landscapes and turquoise glacial lakes of Banff National Park, one of the richest concentrations of dinosaur fossils, and vibrant Indigenous communities with deep cultural traditions. Recently ranked among the world's most livable cities, Calgary offers exceptional access to outdoor recreation, more than 1,000 km of urban pathways, an extensive public transit system, and a dynamic economy. It embodies the enduring spirit of the Canadian West through its traditions of cattle ranching and rodeo; the Calgary Stampede welcomes more than 1.4 million visitors each year.

As we gather from many nations, we gratefully acknowledge that Calgary is situated on the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Nations of the Siksika, Piikani and Kainai First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation. The City of Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, Métis Nation Battle River Territory (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6). We recognize their enduring relationships with these lands, and we are grateful for the opportunity to meet here in a spirit of respect, friendship, and international cooperation.

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone whose dedication has made this Congress possible: the IUCr2026 Secretariat and Board, International Programme Committee, Local Organizing Committee, Communications Committee, Bursary Committee, Outreach Committee, IUCr Secretariat and Executive Committee, our exhibitors and industry partners, more than 300 microsymposium co-chairs and workshop organizers, and approximately 1,800 attendees. Their collective efforts have been truly awe-inspiring.  We also want to thank the three organizations that partnered from the beginning to bid for and organize the Congress: the Canadian National Committee for Crystallography (CNCC), the American Union of Crystallography (AUC), and the American Crystallographic Association (ACA).

We express our heartfelt appreciation to the Canadian crystallographic community for hosting the Congress. Home to distinguished scientists such as William Howard Barnes, Frank Hawthorne, Bertram Brockhouse, Michael N. G. James, and John Polanyi, Canada has made extraordinary contributions to crystallographic and structural science.

It is a joy and a privilege to do science, to collaborate with outstanding colleagues in the global effort to uncover the principles that govern our universe and to improve the human condition. May we be humble, steadfast, and ultimately successful in funding, conducting, and communicating this remarkable work.  By respecting one another and working together in a spirit of unity, we can overcome any challenge.

We are thrilled to welcome you to Calgary and wish you an inspiring, productive, and memorable Congress.

Best wishes,
Branton Campbell
Chair of the IUCr2026 Board of Managers