The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the oldest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. It was officially founded on April 14th, 1837 and is the first University not only of Greece but both the Balkan peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean region. The 8^th Balkan Botanical Congress will be co-organised by the Section of Ecology and Systematics and Section of Botany Biology, Department of Biology.

The Hellenic Botanical Society (HBS) was founded in 1980 and is based in Athens (Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens). The logo of the Society depicts the head of Theophrastus (371-286 BC), ancient Greek philosopher and founder of Botany. The Society has approximately 210 members and has organised a significant number of Scientific Symposia and Congresses from 1980 till today in various Greek cities. According to its statute, the objectives of the Hellenic Botanical Society are:

• the advancement of all sectors of botanical science
• the advancement of botanical research in Greece
• the protection of the Greek flora
• the advancement of the achievements in Greek botanical research

The Hellenic Botanical Society will be an organiser of the 8th Balkan Botanical Congress.

Τhe main objectives of the Department of Pharmacy are to promote education and research into the pharmaceutical sciences and technology, and to that end it continually promotes improvements/changes in the curriculum in line with the changes in the nature/demands of the pharmaceutical profession.

The Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources (IPB&GR) is part of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (ELGO-DEMETER) supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture. Our main research targets include the preservation, evaluation, and exploitation of genetic resources and the development of new cultivars with improved yield, quality, and adaptation. Our research aims to produce and transfer knowledge for the development of integrated crop production and solve modern agricultural problems. Furthermore, we conduct research in the areas of crop protection and sustainable agriculture, driven by the need of reducing production costs and protecting the environment.

i-BEC is a non-profit and mission oriented international organisation and a public-private network that links local communities and countries in the wider Balkan area, with EU and UN agencies. i-BEC supports and co-develops with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki state of the art technologies and innovative research, for sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection. i-BEC promotes a collaborative approach to sustainable management and protection of natural resources that fosters harmonious socio-economic development in Greece, the broader Balkan region and beyond.