University of Ghana to Host Landmark AETFAT Congress – A First for West Africa

The University of Ghana, through its Department of Plant and Environmental Biology, is proud to host the 23rd Congress of the Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa (AETFAT) – marking the first time in the organization’s 75-year history that the event will be held in West Africa.

Founded in 1950, AETFAT (French: Association pour l’Étude Taxonomique de la Flore d’Afrique Tropicale) convenes its international congress every three years. The AETFAT Congress is the largest and longest-running scientific gathering dedicated to the taxonomy, ecology, and conservation of African and Madagascan plants, fungi, and algae.

This year’s congress, scheduled to take place from 3rd to 8th August 2025, is expected to attract approximately 200 delegates from across Africa, Madagascar, Europe, and the Americas. It will bring together researchers, conservationists, and policy-makers to engage in high-level dialogue on pressing issues in African plant science. In addition to showcasing groundbreaking research, the event will provide a platform for academic exchange, capacity building, and mentorship, particularly benefiting graduate students and early-career scientists.

The theme for the 2025 Congress – “Diversity, conservation, and sustainable use of African plants, algae, and fungi in a changing natural world” – aligns strongly with Strategic Priority 2 of the University of Ghana’s 2024–2029 Strategic Plan: Impactful Research. The congress will highlight research that not only deepens scientific understanding of African and Madagascan plants, but also supports biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across the continent.

For further details about the congress and how to participate, please visit the official AETFAT 2025 website: https://aetfat.ug.edu.gh/.