Foreword

Wow! What a year this has been! After surviving and structurally addressing COVID-19, the world was faced with Putin’s war and the crises that it has caused. Here in Sweden, foreign policy evolved in the direction of the country’s integration into NATO, but a change in government also put international development cooperation further under pressure. In the midst of this turmoil, IFS continued to operate to the best of its capacities thanks to its committed staff – you will see from the report the numbers, figures, analyses and stories that testify to this.

In 2022, we also celebrated IFS’s 50th anniversary with representatives of our global constituencies. Our Celebratory Forum in November 2022 inspired us in our way forward, including seeking new funding partners and alternative sources of financing to support our activities. All of these ideas will soon materialise in what we have called the new “IFS 2.0”. During the November Forum, we featured our grantees’ monumental efforts that are living proof of IFS’s unique mandate and position in supporting early-career scientists from the Global South. Be assured that we, at the Secretariat and Board, will continue to further IFS’s mandate in the coming years of transition.

However, at the end of 2022 we also had to say good-bye to our long-serving Director, Dr Nighisty Ghezae, who had decided to retire. For more than 15 years, she contributed much to IFS and the fulfilment of its vision and mission, first for eight years as Head of Programme and then for seven years as Director. I think you have known Nighisty for her unwavering enthusiasm, collaboration with the Board, staff, SAC members, partners, donors and supporters, and for supporting our many grantees around the globe. Let me express our gratitude to Nighisty for her long-lasting commitment, and hereby also wish her all the best for her post-IFS life: vive valeque!

Nighisty’s departure did not come as a complete surprise, so we had ample time to develop a “coping strategy” and plan for the coming years. I am confident that at the IFS Secretariat we remain focused and committed to helping further the career of early-career researchers in the Global South. I am sure that we will succeed with your help and support!