NIR-2015 Brazil—Highlighting South America

Abstract

C aipirinha! If you don’t know what this is, ask anyone who attended the 17 ICNIRS conference in Foz do Iguacu, Parana State, Brazil. The caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil and is composed of crushed cane sugar and limes, filled to the top of the glass with cachaca and shaken with ice—a refreshing and delicious drink in the tropical heat that averaged above 35°C in late October. For those of us residing in the northern hemisphere, it was a wonderful last gasp of summer before we returned to slide into the early stages of a long winter. I have been looking forward to NIR-2015 for over two years since my first ICNIR conference in La Grande Monte, France, and this conference was exceptional in every way. A sincere bravo goes to the Organising Committee for selecting the venue and location in the vicinity of the National Park of Foz do Iguacu at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. As a contributor to the Wildlife and Ecology session of the conference, the setting and experience of the tropical environment and its biodiversity was especially rewarding. I believe we now have about 100 pictures of a particular Toucan and several friendly coati. The cultural heritage of Brazil and other countries of South America were on display from the beginning when performances in traditional costumes and dance followed the opening presentation by Phil Williams, winner of the ICNIRS Karl Norris Award. While Phil gave an enlightening and inspiring presentation, the performers punctuated the mood of the evening with music, balancing acts and an array of colourful costumes that ranged from barely there to a full-feathered assembly of birdwings. The most memorable act was the bead whirler who gave a close shave to one of our conference participants—brave man! ICNIRS participants from around the world answered the call and formed several conga lines to celebrate South America with the dancers and musicians and to take in the experience. The opening night continued with a meet-and-greet caipirinha cocktail hour that set the stage for a wonderful week of networking, exchange of scientific ideas and formation of new partnerships. Soren Balling Engelsen, winner of the Tomas Hirschfeld award, opened the scientific sessions with his plenary talk offering a thorough view of the evolution of NIR and chemometrics and what the future may hold. The morning session focused on Phil Williams with the ICNIRS Karl Norris Award medal presented by Ana Garrido. Photo: Organising Committee—NIR 2015