The CIE is pleased to announce that Dr. Annette Koo, Director of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures – BIPM), Paris, France, will deliver a keynote lecture at the 31st Quadrennial Session of the CIE, taking place in Nanjing, China.
Her keynote, “The Candela and the International System of Units (SI) – Their Shared History and What Lies Ahead”, will address one of the fundamental links between light measurement and the international system of measurement units.
Dr. Koo brings extensive experience in photometry, radiometry, and international metrology. Before becoming Director of the BIPM in January 2026, she worked at the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand, where she began her metrology career as a research scientist, developed expertise in the measurement of light and human perception, and worked to ensure the reliability of photometry and radiometry measurements. She also represented New Zealand in international forums including CIE, CCPR and APMP, and served as Chief Metrologist and Director of the laboratory from 2021 to 2025.
For the CIE, this keynote comes with an especially important historical and scientific context. Collaboration between the BIPM and the CIE dates back more than 100 years and was formalised in 1933 with the establishment of the Consultative Committee for Photometry – CCP (CCPR since 1971). This reflects the central importance of photometry and the measurement of light in CIE’s origins, and its long-standing connection with the international metrology community. The measurement of light in photometry relies on internationally agreed scientific foundations, many of which are closely linked to CIE’s work on human visual response and photometric quantities. CIE’s role is not only to provide this basis, but also to continue developing it as science, technology and measurement needs evolve. In this respect, the topic also reflects the value of continued cooperation between CIE and BIPM, including through the recently updated Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.
The CIE is very pleased to welcome Dr. Annette Koo as a keynote speaker at CIE 2027 and looks forward to her contribution to the programme, bringing important perspectives from international metrology and the measurement of light.
