Various leaders attending the EWFC 2026 paid tribute to Dr Victor Ibeanusi, Founder of the EWFC, for the remarkable development of the EWFC Nexus summit since he first conceptualised it in 2011.
“It has always been my wish to see the EWFC Nexus grow. When I coined the EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus as far back as 2011, I believe I was ahead of the game. Today, the EWFC Nexus Summit has become a global platform, attracting delegates from Europe, the United States, Africa, Asia and Latin America,” said Dr Ibeanusi.
What began as a forward-looking idea has developed into a global science enterprise that recognises the inseparable relationship between energy security, water sustainability, food systems and climate resilience.
The international composition of the 2026 Summit demonstrated the growing relevance of this integrated approach. Delegates brought perspectives shaped by different geographic, environmental and socio-economic realities, while remaining united by the understanding that the world’s most complex sustainability challenges cannot be solved in isolation.
For Dr Ibeanusi, one of the Summit’s most important achievements was the participation of hundreds of students. He emphasised that universities and their leaders have a responsibility to mobilise resources and attract talented students who can sustain the future of research.
“As a dean, your main role is to find funding and attract quality students, especially PhD students”, he said.
The students were not peripheral observers. They were placed at the heart of the Summit and exposed to international scholars, emerging research fields, and new possibilities for postgraduate study.
Their enthusiastic participation reflected the Summit’s commitment to developing human capacity and ensuring that the new science enterprise is carried forward by a diverse and globally connected generation of researchers.
The 2026 Summit represented an important milestone in Dr Ibeanusi’s vision. Fifteen years after he coined the EWFC Nexus, the concept now connects institutions, academics, researchers and students across five continents.