12 stories from 2014 - Global Young Academy2014 has been a fruitful year for the GYA on their way to establishing a permanent global voice for young scientists. An insight into the GYA's projects and activities can be gained from the review of the year, which highlights a number of projects and events in 2014 ...Announcing Institution
News
Other
Ecosystem services, agriculture, neonicotinoids and honey beesIn the wake of restrictions placed on neonicotinoids by the European Commission, EASAC - the European Academies' Science Advisory Council - has examined the scientific evidence about the impact of these insecticides not only on honey bees but on wider ecosystem services and agriculture. Follow the link to the Report, to be discussed at a special debate on Monday 13 April at the Palais des Académies in Brussels ...Announcing Institution
Africa's Science Academy Development Agenda (ASADA)The second phase of African academy development is now underway, led by the Academy of Science of South Africa. The plan succeeds the major 11-year African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI) led by US NAS and funded by the Gates Foundation that formally ends in 2015 ...Announcing Institution
Science integral to new global disaster risk reduction agreementIAP was represented on the Science and Technology Major Group meeting at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, Sendai, Japan, by two experts from the Science Council of Japan ...Announcing Institution
Technology Academy Finland announces nomination process for the 2016 Millennium Technology PrizeNominations for the prize can be made by universities, research institutes and other academic actors as well as companies all around the world. The prize is open to all fields of technology and all nationalities. The nominee can be an individual researcher or a research group. Nominations are accepted until 31 July 2015. The winner will be announced in April 2016 ...Announcing Institution
Resilience of cultural heritage to hydrogeological disastersThe Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei issues a statement on resilience of cultural heritage to hydrogeological disasters following a conference which took place in November 2014 in Rome, ItalyAnnouncing Institution
News
Policy for Science
Save the date in 2016!All IAP and IAMP Member Academies are invited to the IAP Conference on Science Advice and General Assembly, 29 February - 3 March 2016, Hermanus, South Africa ...Announcing Institution
News
Policy for Science
Other
IAP announces the publication of 'Working with Big Ideas of Science Education'This publication is the work of an international expert group of scientists, engineers and science educators, and follows the earlier publication (in 2010) by the same group of 'Principles and Big Ideas of Science Education'Announcing Institution
Academies of Science as key instruments of science diplomacy IAP has promoted science diplomacy by forming effective global and regional networks and facilitating academics to act jointly to address critical issues of global and regional importance. Follow the link to the feature article in the AAAS quarterly publication authored by IAP Co-chairs, with Peter F. McGrath, and Robin Fears ...Announcing Institution
IAP runs a new Young Scientists Programme in 2015 ...Following the success of the programme organized in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, this year IAP has formed a partnership with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to hold a young scientists side event prior to the World Science Forum 2015, in Budapest ...Announcing Institution
The Academy of Sciences of EcuadorEcuador has a thriving economy, abundant resources and a strong educational system. Now, with the election of 25 new members, the Academy of Sciences of Ecuador is emerging as an engine for the nation's scientific development. Follow the link to the feature article by TWAS ...Announcing Institution
News
Biotechnology & Biosecurity
Pakistan Academy of Sciences hosts international workshop on biotechnologyThe 'Policy Makers and Practitioners: Awareness Workshop on Dual Use Education' will take place in Islamabad on 30 March 2015. The initiative, organized by the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) with support from IAP, aims to raise awareness about the potential implications of dual-use research concerns in biotechnology. Follow the link for more information and the tentative programme ...Announcing Institution
Projects and Programmes in 2015 supported by IAPThe IAP Executive Committee, at is meeting in Paris in November 2014, allocated financial support from IAP funds, thanks to the generosity of IAP's principal donor, the Government of Italy. Follow the link to see highlights of activities planned for 2015 ...Announcing Institution
Interoceanic canal could turn Lake Nicaragua into a "dead zone" warn scientists ...The online news service "SciDev.Net" reports on the warnings made by a panel of scientists from the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science (IANAS), biodiversity, engineering and hydrology experts from the Nicaraguan Academy of Sciences (ACN) and the International Council for Science (ICSU), that as work on the Interoceanic Canal begins in Nicaragua, it may unleash ecological havoc. Follow the link to the article, workshop report and ongoing debateAnnouncing Institution
Royal Society publishes report on Resilience to Extreme WeatherThe Royal Society has recently published its latest major report, Resilience to Extreme Weather. Chaired by Professor Georgina Mace CBE FRS, this international project explores the risks posed to people by extreme weather events, and evaluates a range of options for building people’s resilience to them ...Announcing Institution
News
Other
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) - progress report and next stepsThe first year of the Platform’s work programme 2014-2018 is coming to an end. Work on all 18 work programme deliverables has been initiated, as detailed in document IPBES/3/2. Groups of experts, including three task forces, two assessment author groups, three time-bound expert groups and two time-bound scoping groups have been established, with 516 experts selected from a total of 1,691 nominations submitted. Overall, 20 meetings were held in 2014, in eight different locations ...Announcing Institution
Royal Society awards and medals now open for international nominationsThere are a range of awards available with no nationality restrictions including the Copley Medal, Bakerian Medal and Lecture, Croonian Medal and Lecture, Davy Medal and Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture. The Milner Award is open to all European scientists.
Visit the Royal Society’s website for more information. Deadline for nominations - 6.00pm GMT Friday 30 January 2015. Announcing Institution
News
Other
Policy for Science
African-European-Mediterranean Academies for Science Education - AEMASEThe AEMASE initiative is committed to promoting science outreach to society and to improving the quality and accessibility of science education in schools throughout the North-South region. To achieve these aims, one of AEMASE’s key activities is implementing IBSE in more schools and supporting the continued professional development of science educators in IBSE methodology and practice. Follow the link to the recent conference report published by ALLEA in collaboration with the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei ...Announcing Institution
News
Other
Policy for Science
The Global Young Academy calls to integrate science in the UN Post-2015 Development AgendaThe Global Young Academy (GYA) delivered a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that stressed the importance of science for achieving sustainability and poverty reduction. The letter, written in response to the report by the UN’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, contains five recommendations ...Announcing Institution
Promoting science education in AfricaRomain Murenzi, TWAS executive director, encourages African countries to invest in science education and science literacy in their nations in a recent interview ...Announcing Institution
News
ASSAf e-Newsletter Science for SocietyASSAf issues an e-Newsletter outlining its programmes and activities every 3 months. For the latest issue, click here or visit their website.Announcing Institution
News
Other
IAP and Disaster Risk ReductionThe second PrepCom leading towards the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction took place in November 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. Antonio Sgamellotti (Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy) attended on behalf of IAP as part of the Major Group on Science and Technology(STMG) convened by ICSU ...Announcing Institution
Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua hosts international workshop in Managua, 10-11 November 2014Discussions took place on the major scientific and technical issues associated with the interoceanic canal through Nicaragua. The workshop was co-organized by InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) and the International Council for Science - Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean (ICSU-LAC) ...Announcing Institution
Regional Workshop on Scientific Writing and Science CommunicationThe Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) bring together current postgraduate (PG) fellows based at institutions of higher learning in South Africa who are studying towards a doctorate or PhD qualification ...Announcing Institution
News
Other
IAP calls for improved science educationA declaration, endorsed by IAP's Executive Committee, calls on IAP member academies, governments, the private sector and UNESCO to strengthen science education around the world - with a focus on the proven methods of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) ...Announcing Institution
News
Enhancing the Capacity of African Science Academies: The Final Evaluation of ASADIThe InterAcademy Council (IAC) has issued a review of the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI). The review concludes that the initiative has been a significant success - both in terms of meeting its stated objectives and in its wider positive impacts on the trajectory of the African science academies that it supported ... Announcing Institution
IAP Science Education conference kicks off in BeijingThe IAP Science Education Programme (SEP) Biennial Conference is now under way in Beijing, China. Hosted by the Chinese Association of Science and Technology (CAST), the conference is focusing on ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) / Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education’. The meeting brings together 136 participants, with 28 coming from 19 countries outside ChinaAnnouncing Institution
News
Other
Policy for Science
The "Smart Village" initiative ...The Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust in partnership with, and based on scoping research carried out by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), the IAP Affiliated Regional Network for Europe, are now engaged in a study of sustainable energy for villages off-grid in Africa, Asia and Latin America. IAP Members Academies located in these regions are invited to get involved ...Announcing Institution