9th
International
Plant Gall Symposium

Sunday, July 12

• Bus pick up at Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ)

Monday, July 13

• Bus pick up at Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ)
• Arrival & Registration at BBU, 7:30am-5pm
• Poster Session Set-Up
• Welcome Reception at 5:30pm, Zoological Museum.

Tuesday, July 14

• Welcome & Opening Session: Special guest and welcome address from Graham Stone and Csóka Gyuri.
  • Graham N. Stone is Professor of Ecology at the University of Edinburgh and a leading expert on oak gall wasps and insect–plant interactions. His research combines phylogenetics, population genetics, and ecology to study gall evolution and community dynamics. With over 200 publications, he has made major contributions to gall biology, invasive species research, and pollinator ecology, positioning him as a key figure in evolutionary and ecological network science.
  • Csóka Gyuri is a leading Hungarian forest entomologist, internationally recognized for his research on oak gall wasps and plant–insect interactions. As a long-time researcher at Hungary’s Forest Research Institute and a doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, he has made significant contributions to understanding the ecology and population dynamics of oak gall-inducing insects. His work has positioned him as a central figure in gall research in Central Europe.
• Session I
• Lunch on Your Own
• Session II & III
• Dinner on your own.

Wednesday, July 15

• Excursion to the Cheile-Turzii Gorge
• Dinner on your own

Thursday, July 16

• Gall Activities
• Special Guest Speaker: Melika George.
  • George Melika is a renowned Hungarian entomologist and taxonomist specializing in oak cynipid gall wasps (Cynipini). He has described numerous new genera and species worldwide, such as Cyclocynips, Grahamstoneia, and Burnettweldia, with significant contributions across the Palaearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental regions. His comprehensive revision of Ukraine’s Cynipidae fauna is particularly notable. Melika’s work in taxonomy and phylogenetics places him at the forefront of gall wasp systematics and biodiversity research.
• Session IV
• Workshop 1
• Session V
• Dinner on your own

Friday, July 17

• Zoology Museum Lecture & Guided Tour
• Poster Session
• Workshop 2 & Working Lunch
• Session VI
• Cluj-Napoca city center guided tour
• Farewell Party: Fabrica de Bere with the Loose Neckties Society band.

Saturday, July 18

• Post Symposium Tour to Corvin Castle and Rimetea (optional).

Sunday, July 19

• What’s Next?
• Buses Depart for Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ)

Registration fees

Early bird: Available: 15 December 2025 – 28 February 2026

• 450 EUR – Main Attendee
• 350 EUR – PhD Students

 

Regular registration: 1 March 2026 – 29 April 2026

• 550 EUR –Main Attendee
• 450 EUR – PhD Students

 

Late registration: 1 May 2026 – 31 May 2026

• 600 EUR –Main Attendee
• 400 EUR – PhD Students

 

Farewell dinner: 40 EUR

 

Post Symposium Tour: 90 EUR

 

Accompanying person
Provides access to the welcome, farewell/gala dinner and congress excursion event: 325 EUR

 

Registration Fee Waiver:
We are pleased to announce that 5 registration fee waivers are available for PhD, MSc students applying for the conference based on the abstract, CV and a motivation letter.

 

Application Deadline: 28 February 2026. Application documents should be send to Symphosium Chair.

During the conference, close to Cluj-Napoca, there will a large music festival (Electric Castle) for which many of the hotel rooms, Airbnb’s and flats for accommodations are booked in advance. Therefore, please consider booking your accommodation early.

We have reserved a limited number of university accommodations for attendees.

Below is a list of hotels that have available rooms during the conference.

 

Town Center area (1-2 km from site)

 

Several 3-star hotels with rooms:

• Hotel Victoria – https://hotelvictoriacluj.ro/
• Hotel Confort – https://hotelconfort.ro/
• Hotel Alexis – https://hotelconfort.ro/

Several multiple apartment/room small hotels

• Camino Homes 1&2 3 Star – several small apartments https://caminocluj.ro/
• Moldovei 2 Apartments – https://moldovei2apartmentsbcp.ro/
• Central 28 Guesthouse – https://central-28.clujnapoca-hotels.com/
• Lucas 10 Apartments – https://lucas-10-apartments.hotelmetropol-mamaia.ro/

Major chains with limited number of rooms for the conference week

• Hilton Hotels: (limited rooms available)
  • Hampton Inn – https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/cljhxhx-hampton-cluj-napoca/
  • Double Tree – https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/cljcpdi-doubletree-cluj-city-plaza/
  • Radisson Blu – https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-cluj

 

Hotels with rooms but not close to town center

 

• Aparthotelnox 4 Star – https://aparthotelnox.ro/rezervare/
• Hotel Sunny Hill 4 Star – https://hotelsunnyhill.ro/
• Golden Tulip 4 Star – https://ana-dome.goldentulip.com/
• Aparthotel Zorilor – https://aparthotel-zorilor.ro/

 

Large hotels listing there are NO rooms for the week of July 12-18

 

• Hotel Beyfin – https://www.hotelbeyfin.com/en/
• Grand Hotel Italia – https://grandhotelitaliacluj.ro/en/
• Marriott Courthouse – https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/cljcy-courtyard-cluj-napoca-downtown
• Grand Hotel Napoca – https://hotelnapoca.ro/
• Residence Il Lago – https://residenceillago.ro/

Cluj is very walkable and has a good public transport network. We recommend the TRANZY app for routes and timetables. You can pay with a credit card when you board or purchase bus tickets at a kiosk. A single ride costs 0.8 EUR cents. From the airport to the campus in the city center you may take line 5. You have to walk out from the terminal to the bus station on the street to the right.

 

You may also use the BOLT or Uber app for rideshares. From the airport to the campus in the city center it costs about 10 EUR. We recommend BOLT over Uber or taxi.

Around central Cluj daily specials and places with mains typically range from about 10 to 20 EUR.

 

Some favorite restaurants of the organizers: Maimuța Plângătore, Livada, Rhédey Café, Café Bulgakov, Colin’s Gastro Pub, and coffee shops: Nadiniere, Sisters, Frasca and many other more.