ISQOLS President Corner
ISQOLS 2025-2026 President, Stephanie Rossouw, Message to the ISQOLS Community
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Dear ISQOLS members, It is a great privilege to serve as your ISQOLS president for the 2025-2026 term. I am dedicated to honoring the trust you have placed in me by ensuring that every voice in our community is heard and represented. I will build upon the strong foundation established by the remarkable leaders who came before me. I strive to advance our collective mission to promote research in quality of life, well-being, and happiness studies and, in doing so, increase global well-being. To my predecessor, Prof. Dr. Martijn Burger, who led this organization for the past two years with passion, generosity and a 'never-say-die' attitude, I extend my heartfelt thanks. Martijn's Presidency will be remembered for many successful endeavours, but for me, his legacy will lie in establishing a new journal where we can publish our work. The Journal of Well-being Economics, set to start publication in 2026, will be invaluable for our future success, and I am honored to be Co-Editor-in-Chief along with Martijn. The coming two years are rife with possibilities to engage meaningfully, collaborate with purpose and extend networks to diverse regions and disciplines. We start 2025 with our Winter Virtual Conference in February, and our Annual Conference will follow in Luxembourg in July. This promises to be a momentous occasion since it coincides with our 30th anniversary, and if there ever was a cause for a big celebration, this is it! Encouraged by the huge success of our first Regional Conference in South Africa, we will have our second Regional Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2026, and we will be back on US soil for our Annual Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. We will attempt to offer publication opportunities linked to innovative and cutting-edge happiness and well-being research. We are busy working behind the scenes to find our PhD students' mentors who will be able to help them make ISQOLS their home, integrate themselves into our community, and provide advice on developing future careers. We also recognize the need for our younger members to be more involved in leadership positions. Therefore, please keep an eye out for calls to join Special Committees throughout the year. These are volunteer positions and will be open only to members. We strongly believe in pathways to assist the growth and capabilities of future advocates and leaders. The outlook for ISQOLS is bright, and I am excited to contribute to the future of this dynamic and impactful organization. I encourage all of you to get involved where you can to help us ensure that ISQOLS becomes the main driver for meaningful improvements in well-being and advancement of quality of life as a cornerstone of human progress worldwide. Please feel free to say hello or pass on any ideas you have for the next two years! Sincerely yours, Stephanie Rossouw ISQOLS President, 2025-2026 Associate Professor of Economics and Deputy Head of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities |
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