The 10th IAWA (International Association of Wood Anatomists) – China Group Annual Meeting was held on November 10th -12th, 2023, sponsored by IAWA – China Group, organized by Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU) and Nanjing Police College, co-organized by Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, NJFU. The theme of the conference was “Strengthening the fundamental research of wood science and deepening the interdisciplinary construction of forestry and grassland”. The Vice President of NJFU Xinwu Xue, the Director of Science and Technology Division of Nanjing Police College and IAWA Executive Secretary Yafang Yin delivered opening remarks.

More than 240 people from 60 organizations attended the meeting. There were 8 keynote speakers from four countries providing lectures. Professor Wang Shuzhi, researcher of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences gave a keynote lecture entitled "Wood Utilization of Ancient Ancestors - Identification of Timber Remains Unearthed from Archaeological Site". Professor Takao ITOH of Kyoto University delivered a keynote lecture entitled " Significant issues learned from the construction of Chinese wood database” ", Professor Ridwan YAHYA of Bengkulu University of Indonesia provided a keynote lecture entitled “Introduction of extra short fiber in Acacia mangitm: Dimensions and quality as raw material for paper manufacture”, Prof. Yaoli Zhang of NJFU delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Research on Wood Identification Methods and Functional Improvements ", Professor Ma Erni of Beijing Forestry University gave a keynote lecture entitled "Research Progress on the Response of Wood Cell Wall Components to Water Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulation", Professor Zhang Junzhou of Lanzhou University delivered a keynote lecture entitled "Interaction Effects of Climatic Factors and Tree Age on the Annual Radial Growth of Trees in the Qilian Mountains", Professor Duc-Thanh Nguyen of Vietnam Academy of Forestry provided a keynote lecture entitled "Evaluation and conservation of world documentary heritage-Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam", and Professor Xue Xiaoming of Nanjing Police College delivered a keynote lecture entitled "Analysis of Law Enforcement Situation and Scientific and Technological Needs from the Perspective of Environmental Resource Protection". After keynote lectures, in total there were 58 oral presenters giving their presentations on xylem formation, dendrochronology, archaeological wood, wood identification, wood properties, new materials derived from wood, wood and bamboo utilization, and functional wood anatomy.



The committee members of the IAWA China group elected 18 qualified graduate students for the Excellent Presentation Awards (EPA) of the IAWA-China Group. Also, 2 excellent posters and 11 excellent wood microscopic pictures were awarded. IAWA-China Group and the local organizer actively built a platform to provide important academic exchange opportunities for scholars and graduate students in the field of wood anatomy to share the latest research progress, and effectively promoted the international and domestic cooperation and development of wood science and technology and related disciplines. This is the second time for NJFU to host the IAWA China Group Annual Meeting since the first annual meeting in 2014.

In 2024, the 11th Annual Meeting of IAWA-China will be held in Yunnan Province, China, co-organized by Southwest Forestry University.