TWAS Newsletter Vol. 24 No. 2

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Editorial: Solid foundations

(pages 2-5): The mission of TWAS is to build science capacity and scientific excellence in the developing world, mainly through programmes and activities which will enable researchers to reach their full potential. Indeed, scientific knowledge – both directly and indirectly – has the power to alleviate many of the social and economic challenges faced by countries in the South.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences

(pages 6-12): Prior to the forthcoming TWAS General Conference in Tianjin, China, Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, took the time to answer some questions posed by the TWAS Newsletter editor.

An African perspective

(pages 12-21): In 2004, TWAS and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) signed an agreement that allows up to 50 scientists a year to spend time in laboratories in CAS institutes. To date, some 350 students and researchers from developing countries have been awarded TWAS-CAS fellowships. Here we review some of the benefits of the scheme, focusing on visitors to China from Africa.

The Higgs boson discovery

(pages 22-24): Fernando Quevedo (TWAS Fellow 2010), director of the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, describes the importance of the recent discovery of a Higgs boson-like particle and the early role played by Abdus Salam, founder of both ICTP and TWAS.

From Ghana to Brazil to Rwanda

(pages 25-29): TWAS has been promoting South-South collaboration in science since its inception in 1983. Felix Korbla Akorli, from Ghana, was among the first awardees of a South-South fellowship. In 1995, he travelled from Ghana to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to study radio propagation. What impact has the fellowship had on his subsequent career?

Small science, big impact

(pages 30-37): Jayashree Ramadas, director of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education in Mumbai, India, was the recipient of a 2011 TWAS Regional Prize for her pioneering work in science education, and especially for her series of text books, ‘Small Science’, designed for primary-age school children.

Inter-academy cooperation

(pages 38-42): Based in Trieste, Italy, IAP – the global network of science academies – unites academies of science in both the North and South, fostering collaborative programmes and dialogue between academies, the wider scientific community, policymakers and the public. Here we review some current IAP activities designed to have an impact on the world’s ‘grand challenges’ for sustainable development.

Physics, products and patents

(pages 43-46): In April this year, TWAS co-sponsored a five-day ‘Workshop on Entrepreneurship for Physicists and Engineers from Developing Countries’, organized by the UK’s Institute of Physics and hosted by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy.

Revealing soils

(pages 47-49): Ecologists and geologists have long known that the soil can tell stories: by examining the diversity and relative abundance of animals, plants and microorganisms present in each layer, they can determine the impact of environmental changes.

People, places and events

(pages 50-51): Brief news about honours, appointments, awards and events.