News

Building trust through science

8 May. TWAS executive director Romain Murenzi was among 19 high profile delegates invited to attend a meeting aimed at encouraging and supporting scientific collaboration between the US and DPR Korea.

Entrepreneur yourself

27 April. A five-day workshop jointly organized by ICTP, TWAS, IOP and APS gave engineers and physicists from developing countries valuable step-by-step advice on how to convert their good ideas into marketable products.

UN World Water Day

22 March. Today is World Water Day (WWD), an annual date to raise awareness about the challenges posed by water quality and quantity. Akiça Bahri, TWAS Fellow, talks about her extensive water management research and experience in Africa.

Excellent science spurs productivity

13 March. In the first of a series of seminars organized under the TWAS-AAAS International Programme on Science and Diplomacy, Mary O'Kane reviewed how government support for top research centres in Australia has had somewhat unexpected spin-offs.

Eyes to the North: developing partnerships with Japan

9 March. The Executive Director of TWAS, Romain Murenzi, has just returned from a successful partnership-building trip to Japan, jointly organized by the Japanese Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum.

A fond farewell

31 January 2012. Daniel Schaffer, TWAS's Public Information Officer, is retiring. In his concluding article for the 'TWAS Newsletter', he speaks about having been witness to the historic changes in scientific capacity taking place in the developing world over the past 15 years.

Science in the Arab Spring

20 December. Science could be both a source and beneficiary of the dramatic changes taking place in the Arab region. But progress will only take place if the movement stays true to its abiding principles of democracy and transparency.

Empowering Africa

12 December. At a time when increasing access to electricity is driving economic growth in a number of developing countries, sub-Saharan Africa's electricity supplies remain stagnant.

Going quantum

8 December. "The next big step in quantum physics could well come from research being done by scientists in developing countries."

Geoengineering research: Call for coordinated action

4 December. TWAS joins an international consortium, including the Royal Society and the Environment Defense Fund, in a call for coordinated action on geoengineering research.

Small things matter for food security

23 November. The food we eat depends, in large measure, on microorganisms we can't see.

CNR Rao wins 2011 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize

21 November. The immediate past president of TWAS wins the prize for "monumental contributions to the frontiers of materials science."

Academy's goals remain constant

21 November. TWAS will continue to build scientific capacity and promote scientific excellence in a world that is likely to experience unprecedented change in the years ahead, says Jacob Palis, president of TWAS.

TWAS Announces 2011 Prize Winners

21 November. TWAS has announced the winners of the TWAS Prizes for 2011 at the Academy's 22nd General Meeting in Trieste, Italy. Each TWAS Prize carries a cash award of USD15,000. The winners will lecture about their research at TWAS's 23rd General Meeting in 2012, where they will also receive a medal and the prize money.

TWAS Regional Prizes 2011

21 November. The prizes, which are awarded by TWAS's five regional offices, carry a USD3,000 cash award. This year they have been awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of scientific educational material.

TWAS General Meeting in Trieste

14 November. TWAS will hold its 22nd General Meeting in Trieste, Italy, on 21-23 November. More than 250 people from 30 countries are expected to attend.

TWAS & AAAS Building Science Diplomacy

Budapest, Hungary. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and TWAS have signed an agreement to pursue an ambitious slate of joint projects to enhance efforts at the nexus of science and diplomacy.

TWAS-AAS-Microsoft 2011 Award

10 November. Three African scientists have been awarded the 2011 TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Computer Scientists, given by TWAS, the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Microsoft Research.

Women in science in Cuba

4 November. Over the past half century, Cuba has made great strides in providing opportunities for women in science. The numbers tell the story, says Lilliam Alvarez Diáz.

Science in Nicaragua, home and away

31 October. As part of a larger effort to "give back" to his country, Jorge A. Huete Pérez has built a well-equipped biology laboratory at the University of Central America in Managua, Nicaragua.

Higher education for sustainable development

21 October. Romain Murenzi calls for dramatically increasing the number of doctoral fellowships for students in the South.

RISE in Africa

18 October. The Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE) is building strong scientific networks in Africa with the aim of helping to train the next generation of academics on the continent.

The capacity to go green

6 October. Romain Murenzi, TWAS executive director, calls for an expansion of graduate and postgraduate fellowship programmes.

Researchers' night out

On 23 September 2011, TWAS participated in Trieste's 'Researcher's Night', a Europe-wide event bringing together researchers and citizens.

Women scientists honoured

29 September. The Elsevier Foundation, TWAS and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) honoured eleven women scientists from the developing world for their research excellence.

TWAS announces Celso Furtado Prize

22 September. TWAS is pleased to announce the 'TWAS-Celso Furtado Prize in Social Sciences'. With funding from the Brazilian government for the next four years, the annual prize will carry a USD15,000 cash award. The first prize winner will be announced in 2012.

Bringing science centres to Africa

12 September. Science centres could help advance the cause of science-based development in Africa, says Jean-Pierre Ezin.

Laser focus

6 September. A profound personal experience that took place a decade ago has helped shape Jeremie Thouakesseh Zoueu's research agenda ever since.

Kangaroo mother care

26 August. It was born of necessity three decades ago. Today 'Kangaroo Mother Care' helps millions of infants and mothers lead healthier lives. But more needs to be done to spread the word, says Nathalie Charpak.

Nuclear power in the Arab region

23 August. The nuclear accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi in Japan will slow but not stop the Arab region's recent efforts to embrace nuclear power, says Adnan Shihab-Eldin, director general of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.

Nutritional values

15 August. The agenda for nutritional research in Africa should be led by African scientists, says Patrick Kolsteren, coordinator of the European Union 'Sunray' project.

Southern exposure

10 August. Roseanne Diab, executive director of the Academy of Science of South Africa, talks about the involvement of scientists from the developing world in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Advantage youth

4 August. Africa's most important resource are its people, and especially its young people, say Mohamed H.A. Hassan and Daniel Schaffer in a recent 'TWAS Newsletter' article examining the future of science and development in Africa.

A numbers game

29 July. Queena Ngo Lee-Chua, a recipient of the 2010 TWAS Regional Office in East and South East Asia (TWAS-ROESEAP) prize for the popularization of science, speaks about her passion for maths teaching in the current issue of the TWAS Newsletter.

Universal truths here and there

21 July. Last winter, Abdel Nasser Tawfik was an eyewitness to the birth of the Arab Spring in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Now, he is seeking to transform his research institute in Egypt into an international centre of excellence. He spoke about his efforts during a recent visit to Trieste.

Romain Murenzi on the future of TWAS

15 July. SciDev.Net has recently spoken with TWAS executive director Romain Murenzi about his plans for the Academy.

Information please

6 July. Transparency was the often-repeated word at the session, "Under the Pressure Cooker: How Information Professionals Communicate Big Stories." The session, jointly organized by TWAS and the US National Academy of Sciences, took place at the 2011 World Conference of Science Journalists in Doha, Qatar.

Murenzi in Nature

In the 29 June 2011 edition of NATURE, TWAS executive director Romain Murenzi speaks about the need to encourage and support young scientists in Africa as a key to building a strong foundation for science-based development in Africa.

Priceless data

24 June. Although massive amounts of data from sources such as Landsat have become open access, users still face many obstacles, says TWAS Public Information Officer Daniel Schaffer in a feature article published on SciDev.Net.

Workshop focuses on life sciences

20 June. Ways to improve faculty research and training on issues related to biosecurity and biosafety were at the centre of discussions at a workshop in Trieste that was sponsored by the US National Academies of Sciences (NAS) and hosted by TWAS.

Gas hydrates in our energy future

18 June. Gas hydrates, an abundant yet difficult to extract source of energy, could play a key role in meeting the world's future energy needs, says Harsh K. Gupta (TWAS Fellow 1995), Panikkar professor at the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad, India.

Innovation comes to Africa

10 June. Can Africa emerge as an innovation hub for growth?

Call for nominations: 2011 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize

30 May. The deadline for nominations to the 2011 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize is 20 July 2011. Nominations should be sent to prizes@twas.org.

Science for development in Africa

23 May. Berhanu Molla Abegaz (TWAS Fellow 1998), who was recently appointed executive director of the African Academy of Science (AAS), explains how "science for development" will be at the centre of the AAS's programmatic initiatives.

Change in scientific publishing

16 May. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have generally had a positive impact on science in the developing world. Yet, when it comes to science publications, long-standing challenges persist, and new challenges have surfaced due to the rapid spread of electronic information delivery systems.

A time at TWAS

12 May. Mohamed H.A. Hassan, who has served as TWAS's executive director for more than a quarter century, has retired. In the most recent edition of the TWAS Newsletter, he reminisces about his time at TWAS. Excerpts follow.

Rocky past

6 May. Italian-Brazilian scientist Umberto Cordani has a passion for dating rocks. His research not only sheds light on the intricate dynamics of our planet but also helps us better understand the geological stresses facing the Earth today.

Fighting cancer with viruses

13 April. Cancerous tumors pose a severe health threat throughout the world. Ranking second only to cardiovascular disease in terms of disease burden, tumors are both a common and multifaceted affliction that still awaits effective treatment.

Cities and water

28 March. "The most critical problems related to water in Africa are often found in cities," says E. Salif Diop (TWAS Fellow 2010). That's why he finds the urban focus of this year's World Water Day to be both urgent and timely.

Celebrating chemistry

22 March. The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011), a year-long celebration of chemistry's contributions to society, is taking place this year. IYC 2011 is designed to draw attention to the important role that chemistry plays in our lives.

Stemming parasitic diseases in Brazil

8 March. Malaria, which is caused by the parasite Plasmodium, affects millions of people worldwide. It kills one child every 30 seconds.

Ndiaye new president of African Academy of Sciences

28 February. TWAS Fellow (1999) Ahmadou Lamine Ndiaye from Senegal has just been elected the new president of the Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences (AAS). He succeeds Mohamed H.A. Hassan.

Molecular matters in Argentina

23 February. By enhancing our understanding of how biological systems regulate themselves, Gabriel Rabinovich, the 2010 TWAS prizewinner in medical sciences, is helping to shed light on ways to treat cancer, acute inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

The art and science of small things

4 February. Art and science can often come together for powerful effect. That was certainly the case in Havana, Cuba, last month when 36 "sci-art" photographs were put on display at an exhibit held at the Habana Libre Hotel between 11 and 25 January.

Cotton futures in Uzbekistan

28 January. Spun into thread or made into cloth, cotton has been the primary source of much of the world's clothing and fabric for thousands of years, rivalled only by wool and silk. Even today, cotton accounts for 40% of the fibre sold worldwide. It remains the most widely used natural fibre.

Hope for science in Palestine

24 January. For those who are privileged to be members, science academies often serve as sanctuaries from the troubles and tribulations of everyday life. But that's not the case for the Palestine Academy of Science and Technology (PALAST), which operates in one of the world's toughest neighbourhoods. The work of the Academy is profiled in the latest edition of the TWAS Newsletter.

Theory in practice in the Caribbean

18 January. Sean McDowell (TWAS Fellow 2009) talks about the challenges he faces – and the success he has achieved – as a researcher in the Caribbean.

Science means business

10 January. "We have reached a stage in global development when even the poorest countries can readily derive material benefits from investments in science and technology," says Heneri A.M. Dzinotyiweyi (TWAS Fellow 1988), Minister of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe.

Sun-kissed water in Tunisia

20 December. M. Thameur Chaibi (TWAS Fellow 2009), a senior researcher at the National Agricultural Research Institute of Tunisia, has experienced water shortages since his early youth. It's a concern that's not only shaped his personal life but also his scientific career – a career that has focused on providing sustainable water supplies to Africa through innovative research and engineering.

Caribbean first

13 December. "Every child in Jamaica wants to become a medical doctor, but they don't know the other opportunities that science has to offer," says TWAS Young Affiliate Marvadeen Singh-Wilmot, a lecturer in the chemistry department at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona, Jamaica.

TWAS honoured with Feltrinelli prize

12 November. The official ceremony for the 2010 'Premio Feltrinelli', which went to TWAS, took place at the 'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei' in Rome, at the opening of Italy's 2010-2011 academic year. Giorgio Napolitano, the president of Italy, was in attendance. Jacob Palis, president of TWAS, received the award on behalf of the Academy.

L'Oréal Prize goes to three TWAS members

9 November. Three members of TWAS are among the five women to win the 2011 L'Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science.

Palis speaks at ICTP's 45th anniversary conference

7 November. "Science is a key factor in allowing developing countries to forego importing technology from abroad and in charting their own path for sustainable economic growth," noted TWAS President Jacob Palis, speaking at the ICTP 45th anniversary conference.

The social life of wasps

22 October. "Wasps have complex social lives," says Raghavendra Gadagkar, INSA S.N. Bose Research Professor and J.C. Bose National Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Health in transition

22 October. "Global health is in a period of dramatic transition," says K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. And that transition is having a profound impact on health across the globe, especially in the developing world.

Conditions on the ground

21 October. Abdoulaye Mando sees the world from the ground up – a line of vision that is helping thousands of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mars on Earth

21 October. The driest place on Earth is playing a major role in determining whether life has ever existed on Mars.

TWAS Regional Prizes for Public Understanding and Popularization of Science

20 October. The prizes, which are awarded by TWAS's five regional offices, carry a USD3,000 cash award. They are given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving public understanding and appreciation of science.

Science and women in Turkey

20 October. "Women in academia in Turkey are not suffering," says Cigdem Kagitcibasi, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Koc University.

Prime Minister Singh addresses TWAS 21st General Meeting

19 October. "Science is a key driver that guides global discourse," says Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India.

Goldemberg wins 2010 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize

19 October. The prize, which includes a USD100,000 cash award, is given to eminent scientists from the developing world who have made significant contributions to science and science-based development.

TWAS Medal Lectures 2011

19 October. The Council of TWAS has awarded 'TWAS Medal Lectures' to three TWAS members in recognition of their achievements in their fields of research. The scientists honoured will lecture on a main aspect of their work at the next TWAS General Meeting.

New members elected

19 October. Fifty-eight new members have been elected into the Academy in Hyderabad.

TWAS Announces 2010 Prize Winners

18 October. TWAS has announced the winners of the TWAS Prizes for 2010 at the Academy's 21st General Meeting in Hyderabad, India. Each TWAS Prize carries a cash award of USD15,000. The winners will be asked to lecture about their research at TWAS's 22nd General Meeting in 2011, where they will also receive a medal and the prize money.

Minister Chavan speaks about science

16 October. "India’s too big to be straight-jacketed into a single framework for science and technology," says Prithviraj Chavan, India's Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences.

Where vision counts

16 October. It owes its existence to an unusual alliance between an internationally renowned ophthalmologist, who specialized in cornea disease, and a famous film producer, who found fame and fortune in the "dream world" of Bollywood.

Blogging from Hyderabad

SciDev.Net's T.V. Padma will be blogging live from TWAS's 21st General Meeting in Hyderabad, 19-22 October 2010.

CT scans and public health

14 October. The number of computed tomography (CT) scans has increased threefold since 1993. These procedures, prescribed to more than 70 million patients worldwide in 2007, have now become commonplace in both the developed and many parts of the developing world.

Straight talk about nature and biodiversity

11 October. "People intrinsically understand that nature bestows untold benefits that we all value and cherish as human beings," says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Renewing our energy future

30 September. "Energy demand is skyrocketing in the developing world and, if current trends continue, it will exceed the level of demand in the world's richest countries by 2015," says Mohamed Hassan, executive director of TWAS.

Measuring a changing climate by degrees

27 September. "International climate change negotiations are more like a marathon than a sprint," says Robert N. Stavins, Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

TWAS to meet in India

23 September. The TWAS 21st General Meeting will take place in Hyderabad, India, on 19-22 October 2010. More than 300 invitees from 54 countries are expected to attend. Dr. Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India, will address the delegates at the opening ceremony.

ICTs key to Balkans' future

10 September. "The development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is one of the highest priorities of the government of Kosovo," says Lule Ahmedi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Pristina in Kosovo's capital city.

Workshop in Trieste: STI cooperation in the Balkans

9 September. The role of science academies in advancing science, technology and innovation in the Balkans will be a key topic of discussion at an international workshop taking place in Trieste, Italy, on 9 and 10 September 2010.

Palis receives Balzan Prize

8 September. Jacob Palis, president of TWAS, has won the 2010 Balzan Prize in mathematics.

First ISTIC-TWAS Entrepreneurship Awards announced

7 September. TWAS and ISTIC announce the recipients of the first ‘ISTIC-TWAS Entrepreneurship Awards’.

A world of cities

13 August. "The rapid growth of cities worldwide marks a demographic shift as significant as the shift from hunters and gatherers to farmers and settlers that took place some 10,000 years," says Hans Van Ginkel, TWAS Associate Fellow 2005 and former rector of the United Nations University (UNU).

Murenzi appointed TWAS Executive Director

7 February. Romain Murenzi, a key architect of Rwanda's efforts to devise a successful blueprint for science-based sustainable development after years of civil war and genocide, has been appointed the new executive director of TWAS. He replaces the Academy's long-time executive director, Mohamed H.A. Hassan, who is retiring.

Renewable energy in oil-rich Arab countries

30 July. Oil is not the only energy source in oil-rich Arab countries, says Farouk El-Baz (TWAS Fellow 1985). The region is also richly endowed with sun and wind.

A climate at risk

25 July. "We have a window of opportunity to put in place the technologies and policies that we need to curb greenhouse gas emissions," says Mohan Munasinghe (TWAS Fellow 1994).

China seeks to build knowledge economy

30 June. "China must move from a low-cost manufacturing economy to an economy driven by science-based innovation," says Wang Yuan, executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED).

Twelve women scientists win Elsevier Foundation TWOWS Award

27 June. TWOWS, TWAS and The Elsevier Foundation are recognizing twelve talented women scientists from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for their research excellence.

TWAS awarded 'Premio Feltrinelli'

24 June. The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, announces that TWAS has been selected to receive the prestigious international Antonio Feltrinelli Prize for helping to build scientific capacity in the developing world.

The Mediterranean: Landscapes lost

18 June. "It's the landscape that defines the Mediterranean region," says Paolo Lombardi, director of the WWF Mediterranean Programme Office. "And we are treating the Mediterranean region's landscape badly."

Separating wealth from well-being

11 June. Globalization is a driving force in today’s world. And, not surprisingly, it’s a source of a great deal of discussion and debate, says William E. Rees, professor of community and regional planning at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Science policy a top priority

07 June. Lidia Brito from Mozambique, the new head of UNESCO's science policy division, outlines her plans for helping to strengthen the role of science in both development and diplomacy. The full text of the interview appears in the most recent issue of TWAS Newsletter.

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