After obtaining the thesis prize from the SIMPPE Doctoral School (Science and Engineering of Molecules, Products, Processes and Energy), Mahdi Mubarok has been awarded the first-place prize for the outstanding international thesis in the field of Wood Science provided by the IAWS (International Academy of Wood Science). His thesis, concerning the chemical modification of beech wood, was carried out within the framework of a collaboration between the University of Lorraine and the University of Göttingen, thanks to the funding from LABEX ARBRE, under the supervision of Professors Holger MILITZ and Philippe GERARDIN. Aiming to develop environmentally friendly methods of wood preservation, his work has led to the development of non-biocidal treatments to improve the durability of wood against both decay fungi and termites. Arriving to the Lorraine as part of a Master Double Degree program between the University of Lorraine, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), and AgroParisTech, Mahdi’s thesis was becoming the opportunity for LERMAB to pursue its collaborations with Indonesia and IPB. The complete work has dedicated at least six publications in the peer-reviewed journals.