As I prepare to travel to Calgary, Canada, to receive the Ewald Prize, I find myself looking back at the organization that makes this occasion so meaningful. The Ewald Prize is the highest honour bestowed by the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr). Given once every three years, I am privileged to be only its 14th recipient in 42 years—an honour awarded for my work in defining and advancing the field of crystal engineering.
Yet, as much as this journey to Calgary is a personal milestone, it is equally a moment to reflect on the institution itself. What makes the IUCr so unique in the global scientific landscape?
Born from a Need to Heal and Connect
The foundation of the IUCr in 1948 was deeply tied to the historical moment of its creation. In the aftermath of World War II, when political alliances were shattered and national boundaries were redrawn in conflict, the international scientific community realized that science needed to serve as a bridge. Operating under the umbrella of what was then the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), the IUCr was established on a simple yet profound premise: the universal language of science could bring people together when political rhetoric had torn them apart.
Crystallography—sitting at the vibrant intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science—was uniquely positioned to foster this international spirit. Scientists from former adversary nations sat at the same tables, bound by a shared fascination with the arrangement of atoms in solid matter.
More Than a Publisher: A Mentor to the World
Over the decades, the IUCr evolved a business model and institutional character distinct from almost any other scientific union. Chief among its endeavors has been its publishing wing. Starting with its flagship journal, Acta Crystallographica, the Union’s portfolio has expanded today to nearly ten flourishing journals that cater to every facet of structural science.
However, the true peculiarity—and glory—of the IUCr lies in how it approaches publishing.
For standard scientific publishers, peer review is largely a gatekeeping exercise: accept or reject. The IUCr, by contrast, has historically viewed academic publishing as an act of mentorship. The Union took it upon itself as a core duty to educate authors—teaching young researchers how to structure their papers, refine their arguments, and present structural data with absolute accuracy and also precision.
Empowering Global Science
This nurturing ethos had an extraordinary global impact. For nations outside the traditional scientific powerhouses of Western Europe, North America, and Japan, breaking into top-tier international journals was once a daunting hurdle. By actively guiding authors through the publication process, the IUCr democratised structural science.
Countries with rapidly developing scientific infrastructures—most notably India and China—benefited immensely from this inclusive philosophy. Generations of crystallographers from these regions learned the rigours of international publishing through IUCr journals, building world-class research communities in the process.
Looking Ahead to Calgary
As I step onto the stage in Calgary, I will be accepting an award for crystal engineering, a field dedicated to designing multi-component molecular solids with targeted properties. But in a broader sense, the award honours the spirit of community that the IUCr has cultivated for nearly eight decades.
At its core, crystal engineering is about understanding how individual molecules organise themselves into harmonious, functional structures. In a world that often feels fragmented, the International Union of Crystallography remains a testament to what happens when human minds organise with equal harmony across borders.