News
- Some 250 participants from 50 countries attended the International Symposium on Groundwater Sustainability, organized by the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain, under the auspices of the IAP Water Programme from 24-27 January 2006 in Alicante, Spain.
Symposium sessions centred on five themes –hydrogeology; groundwater economics; ecological implications of groundwater use; information, education and conflict prevention; and institutions for groundwater management. With the collaboration of the University of Alicante, a contest for secondary schools on groundwater issues was also organized. Some 2,000 schools were invited to participate and four young students were selected to present the results of their research in the plenary session of the symposium. IAP Co-chair, Yves Quéré also attended. For additional information, see: www.interacademies.net/CMS/Programmes/3132.aspX
- The IAP working group on science education organized an International Evaluation of Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) meeting, in Washington, D.C., on 16-17 March 2006, sponsored by the US National Academies of Sciences. The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) held the first Africa regional meeting on Science Teacher Accreditation, in Pretoria, on 23-24 March 2006. Full reports of these meetings will be posted on the IAP website. Contact: jallende@abello.dic.uchile.cl
- The 15th Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences will take place in conjunction with a conference on Science and Technology in a Caribbean Environment from 21-23 May 2006 in Guadeloupe. For additional information, contact: wmello@yahoo.com
- Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences released a joint statement on "Globalization and Education" at the workshop which took place at Casina Pio IV, Vatican City from 16-17 November 2005. The statement can be downloaded in pdf format here.