Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 3 September 2026

Mark Albert H. Zarco
Professor, University of the Philippines, Diliman
IPA Director

The 21^st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering was held on 14 – 19 June, 2026, at the Austria Center Vienna, Austria (Photos 1 and 2). The conference was organized by the Austrian Geotechnical Society and Austrian Society for Geomechanics, under the auspices of ISSMGE (International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering).
 
With the main theme “Where it all began”, the conference marked the 100^th anniversary of the birth of modern soil mechanics with the publication of Karl Terzaghi’s groundbreaking book "Erdbaumechanik auf bodenphysikalischer Grundlage". The conference was attended by more than 3000 experts from over 90 countries. The technical program consisted of 10 Plenary Sessions, Parallel Sessions, Technical Committee Honour Lectures, Technical Committee Workshops, and Technical Committee Meetings.
 
IPA Immediate Past President Prof. Leung Chun Fai was the recipient of the 2026 ISSMGE Lifetime Achievement Medal (ILAM) (Photo 3). Prof. Leung was one of three ILAM Winners for 2026 which also included Prof. Samuel Ejezie (Nigeria) and Prof. Heinz Brandl (Austria).
 
During the Council Meeting held on June 14, 2026, Prof. Lyesse Laloui was elected as the new ISSMGE President. Incoming Vice Presidents were Dr. Sebastian Ozoamalu (Africa), Dr. Anil Joseph (Asia), Prof. Rolando P. Orense (Australasia), Prof. Loretta Batali (Europe), Prof. J. David Frost (North America), and Daniela Pollak Aguiló (South America). The Chinese Institution of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering won the right to host the next ICSMGE Conference in Shanghai, China in 2029.