News
- IAP's new executive committee (EC) held its first meeting from 27 to 28 February in Paris, hosted by the French Academy of Sciences. At the meeting, the EC decided on a work plan for the next 3 years, evaluated modifications to the IAP statutes and considered ways of further promoting IAP and its programmes in collaboration with such organizations as the International Council for Science (ICSU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and other UN bodies.
The EC agreed that the 2004-2006 work programme will include the following themes:
1. Capacity building for academies: Lead academy: TWAS
2. Health education of women: Lead: French Academy of Sciences
3. Science education: Lead: Chilean Academy of Sciences
4. Water: Lead: Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
The EC also agreed to support several initiatives that will include such activities as organizing workshops and drafting statements. These initiatives, which could be converted into IAP programmes in the future, are: Access to scientific information: Lead: US NAS; Biosecurity: Lead: Accademia dei Lincei; Genetically modified organ-isms (GMO's): Lead: Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.
- Academy of Sciences Malaysia in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and IAP is organizing the 2nd International Conference on Primary and Secondary Schools Science and Mathematics Education from 16-18 June 2004 in Kuala Lumpur. The theme of the conference - Creativity in Science and Maths Education: Gateway to the future - will give scientists and science and maths teachers an opportunity to share experiences with international experts and regional officials on the importance of innovative teaching and learning. It will also provide a platform to discuss educational issues relevant to ASEAN countries, with the aim to develop a regional and international network. IAP members are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact: lyeec@pc.jaring.my.
- Brazilian Academy of Sciences sponsored a study visit to Brazil for Patricio Sande (president) and Maria Joaquim Bamo (secretary) of the Scientific Research Association, Mozambique. During their one-month stay, the researchers, who are currently evaluating the possibility of creating a science academy in Mozambique, were acquainted with the structure and functioning of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. The pair visited universities, scientific institutions and government agencies in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília.
- Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei awarded the Antonio Feltrinelli prize to the humanitarian organi-zation Emergency. The Euros 250,000 prize was given for the exceptional humanitarian work carried out by the organization worldwide, including relief efforts in Iraq. For more details, contact: ufficio.premi@lincei.it.
- Cuban Academy of Sciences and UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector are organizing the Greater Caribbean Conference on Science, Technology and Environment in Havana from 9-11 November. IAP is supporting this regional initiative together with other international organizations. For more information, contact: acc@ceniai.inf.cu.