About TWAS

TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, represents the best of science in the developing world. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South.

TWAS is an autonomous international organization, founded in Trieste, Italy in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the South under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. Originally named "Third World Academy of Sciences", it was officially launched by the then-secretary general of the United Nations, Javier Perez de Cuellar, in 1985. Since its inception, TWAS's operational expenses have largely been covered by generous contributions of the Italian government.

The Academy's more than 700 Fellows and Associate Fellows are elected from among the world's most distinguished scientists. Fellows are citizens of the South; Associate Fellows are citizens of the North who either were born in the South or have made significant contributions to the advancement of science in the South. About 80 percent of TWAS's membership are Fellows representing more than 70 countries in the South. (See TWAS Membership page for more information).

A Council, elected by members every three years, is responsible for supervising all Academy affairs. A small secretariat headed by an Executive Director assists the Council in the administration and coordination of the programmes (contacts). The secretariat is located on the premises of The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy.

Since 1986 TWAS has supported scientific research in 100 countries in the South through a variety of programmes. More than 2,000 eminent scientists worldwide, including TWAS members, peer review proposals free-of-charge for research grants, fellowships and awards that are submitted to the Academy by scientists and institutions in developing countries.

Partnerships

TWAS works in close collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), International Council for Science (ICSU), International Foundation for Science (IFS) and International Science Programme (ISP).

In 1988 TWAS facilitated the establishment of the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), a non-governmental alliance of some 150 scientific organizations in the South. In September 2006 , the foreign ministers of the Group of 77 and China endorsed the transformation of TWNSO into the Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South (COSTIS). COSTIS's goals are to help build political and scientific leadership in the South for science-based economic development and promote sustainable development through South-South and South-North partnerships in science and technology.

TWAS also played a key role in the establishment of the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS). TWOWS, launched in 1993, now has more than 2000 members representing over 80 countries in the South. Its main objectives are to promote women's leadership in science and technology in the South and to strengthen their participation in science-based development and decision-making processes. The TWOWS secretariat is hosted and assisted by TWAS.

Since May 2000, TWAS has served as the secretariat for the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), a global network of 85 science academies worldwide established in 1993. IAP's primary goal is to help member academies work together to inform citizens and advise decision-makers on the scientific aspects of critical global issues.

TWAS and TWNSO together have played a major role in the establishment of COMSATS, the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, whose membership consists of heads of state or government in the South and whose aims are to bring awareness to developing countries of the pivotal role science and technology have in the process of development, and to support major initiatives for promoting indigenous capacity in science and technology for science-led sustainable development.

Objectives

• To recognize, support and promote excellence in scientific research in the South;
• To provide promising scientists in the South with research facilities necessary for the advancement of their work;
• To facilitate contacts between individual scientists and institutions in the South;
• To encourage South-North cooperation between individuals and centres of scholarship;
• To encourage scientific research on major Third World problems.

Main Contributors to TWAS's Current Activities

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy;
• the Department for Research Co-operation (SAREC) of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida);
• the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
• the OPEC Fund for International Development;
• the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS);
• Partners in TWAS's Exchange Programmes
  • Brazil: National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Rio de Janeiro
  • China: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing
  • India:
    • Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi
    • Department of Biotechnology of the Ministry of Science and Technology (DBT), New Delhi
    • S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata
    • Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata
  • Pakistan:
    • National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Lahore
    • International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi