​​​2019 marks the 21st anniversary of the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB), which was established in 1998 in collaboration with the South African Sugar Association under the directorship of Prof Frikkie Botha. The Institute operates as an independent unit within the Department of Genetics in the Faculty of AgriSciences. In 2004, Prof Jens Kossmann was appointed director, a position that he still occupies. The IPB, under his leadership, represents a multicultural and interdisciplinary team of researchers and postgraduate students that focuses on research opportunities in plant biotechnology.

In September, the IPB will host its 21st anniversary at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) as an afternoon feedback and future prospective celebration session, concluding with a social dinner. Invited will be all current and former staff members, funders, alumni students still working in the field of plant science, national and international collaborators, a campus faculty and departmental delegation and people who, over the years, have provided essential services to the IPB.

The IPB, over the past 21 years, has trained numerous students, playing an essential role in establishing people's careers, contributed significantly to knowledge in the plant science field, published numerous scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and registered a number of patents as a consequence of the applied nature of conducted research. In 2019, we celebrate and remember these contributions.