TWAS Plus - Vol. 11 No. 6 - December 2025
Award recipients at 17th TWAS General Conference. (Photo: Mario Marques)

TOP STORY

The 2025 TWAS Skill Building Workshop equipped 28 early-career African scientists with new tools to advance their research and foster collaboration across the continent. Over three days, they gained knowledge in scientific writing, responsible AI, science communication, mentoring, networking, and transdisciplinary research. More

TWAS OPPORTUNITIES

Submissions open for Through Southern Lenses: Science in Focus photography award
This international award celebrates the power of photography to communicate science and its impact on society. This year’s theme, “Glaciers and Deserts”, invites photographers to explore the striking contrasts and shared vulnerabilities of these extreme environments, reflecting on resilience and adaptation in the global South. The winning Photo Essay will receive US$20,000 and be featured in an international exhibition. More

Doctoral opportunities in China with ANSO-CAS-TWAS
Up to 40 students and researchers from developing countries will receive sponsorship to pursue doctoral studies in China for up to four years, through the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship programme. Deadline: 31 January 2026. More

TWAS-UNESCO Associateship Scheme
TWAS, in partnership with UNESCO and leading research centres in the global South, offers a joint Associateship Scheme for qualified researchers. Each associate is appointed for a three-year term and may visit one of the 300 participating centres twice for research collaboration. Deadline: 9 December 2025. More

TWAS programme for Research Professors in LDCs
TWAS Fellows, Young Affiliates, and Alumni may be appointed as TWAS Research Professors for one year at a host institution in a Least Developed Country, to help build lasting research ties. Each appointment lasts two to four weeks. Deadline: 9 December 2025. More

TWAS NEWS

Meet the 2026 class of TWAS Fellows
TWAS elected 63 new Fellows: among them are 40 men and 23 women (36.5% women), and 57 are from the global South. The election of the new Fellows will be effective starting on 1 January 2026, bringing the total TWAS membership to 1,493. More

Science diplomacy enthusiasts share their experiences from AAAS-TWAS course
Featuring simulations in which course participants take on a role in fictionalized, but common, negotiations the AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy, supported by Sida, taught to participants’ pairs how science diplomacy works in action. More

Artificial intelligence for the global South
By exploring autism, malaria, and the responsible use of AI, the TWAS roundtable at Trieste Next 2025 offered a comprehensive look at this a sophisticated technology and the questions its use raises. More

UNESCO-TWAS workshop in Ethiopia trained tomorrow’s climate leaders
The event brought together 14 speakers and 30 participants to strengthen their skills to address climate-related challenges through interactive sessions and collaborative learning. More

TWAS Fellow Youba Sokona advocates inclusive climate actions
The global South must be at the heart of climate science, and scientists from the developing world must be granted full participation in international scientific projects, said TWAS Fellow Youba Sokona during the 17th TWAS General Conference in Rio de Janeiro. More

Luiz Davidovich: Quantum technologies must advance peace and prosperity
Emeritus professor Luiz Davidovich, a TWAS Fellow since 2002 and the 2025 Apex Award recipient, said that new discoveries and technologies in quantum science must be shared with all countries and benefit all humankind. More

Profiles of new TWAS Fellows added to online directory
Explore the 2025 class of TWAS Fellows, representing the pinnacle of scientific achievement in their fields, in the TWAS Online Directory. More

Nigeria delegation visits host of CAS-TWAS centre
A high-level delegation from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Nigeria paid a visit to the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to strengthen international cooperation in public health science and technology. More

Science diplomacy for global peace in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s National Science Day provided a platform for a high-level forum on the role of diplomacy in informed decision-making at the science-policy interface. TWAS took part in the event contributing to the celebration. More

Italian President Mattarella presents Eni Award to TWAS-supported researcher
Congolese scientist Asengo G. Mabia received the 2025 Eni Award for Young Talents from Africa for developing a green process to convert agricultural by-products. Italian President Sergio Mattarella presented him with the award. More

Building on success with China
In order to build on over a decade of successful collaboration, TWAS hosted representatives from a 14-person delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences at its headquarters in Trieste, Italy, from 24–26 November. More

Eligibility criteria for TWAS Young Affiliates updated
TWAS and its Regional Partners have announced updated eligibility criteria for TWAS Young Affiliates designed to make the nomination process more inclusive and equitable. More

Brazilian VirgĂ­lio Almeida receives UNESCO-Uzbekistan AI Ethics Prize
Virgílio Almeida, a professor in the Computer Science Department at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, elected to TWAS in 2010, has received the inaugural edition of the UNESCO–Uzbekistan Beruniy Prize for Scientific Research on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). More

TWAS Fellow Ana MarĂ­a Cetto is now chairing the scientific panel on nuclear war effects
Ana María Cetto Kramis, the former deputy director-general for technical cooperation at the International Atomic Energy Agency (2003–2010) and a TWAS Fellow since 1999, has been appointed chair of the UN Independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. More

Cato Laurencin honoured with the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Cato Laurencin, elected to TWAS in 2006, was awarded the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award, an annual accolade established in 2021 to recognize excellence in research and development in the field of bioactive materials. More

TWAS YOUNG AFFILIATES NETWORK (TYAN) NEWS

TYAN members attended an international cancer event in Malaysia
Six scientists of the TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN) participated in the AACR on Campus-Malaysia congress held on 13–14 November in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. The event provided an opportunity to exchange expertise and skills with cancer experts from around the world. More

TWAS Alumna receives the Marsh Award
Beninese TWAS Young Affiliate Alumna and conservation biologist Etotépé Sogbohossou has received The Marsh Award for Ecologists in Africa, for her work to improve the ability of humans and wildlife to coexist. More

ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS

IAP

Join the IAP Triennial Conference
Experience global science leaders shaping policy and society at the 2025 IAP Triennial Conference in Cairo, on 8–11 December. Join the conversation via livestream. More

Celebrating IAP leadership
IAP congratulates professor Phoebe Koundouri, a member of its capacity building committee, on her appointment as co-chair of the UN’s 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report. More

Advancing molecular literacy
IAP endorses the Erice Statement that urges global action to strengthen molecular life sciences education and make molecular literacy accessible to all students. More

Call for abstracts: GEMS Conference 2026 in Rome
Submit your abstract for the conference "Sustaining knowledge during crises: Gender and Displacement in Science", scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy in April 2026. Be part of a global conversation exploring the intersection of gender, displacement, and science. Deadline: 4 January 2026. More

Associateships for Sub-Saharan Africa
ICTP announces a special edition of its Associates Programme for scientists working in Sub-Saharan Africa. The call now opens for visits starting in 2027. Deadline: 28 February 2026. More

TWAS REGIONAL PARTNERS NEWS

TWAS Regional Partners’ key role
The TWAS Regional Partners are a vital part of the Academy’s global network. They nominate candidates for TWAS awards, select TWAS Young Affiliates, and help raise awareness of TWAS and its programmes, especially among scientists in their respective regions. More

TWAS-AREP new video highlights a two-decade partnership
The two-decade partnership between TWAS and its Arab Regional Partner (TWAS-AREP) in Egypt is celebrated in a new video that lays out the history and mission of the Academy’s satellite. More

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

KAUST Global Postdoctoral Fellowship
Emerging early-career researchers may apply for three-year postdoctoral fellowships at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, to start building an independent and successful career. Deadline: 15 January 2026. More

Remote access to quantum computing for healthcare and life sciences
The Cleveland Clinic in collaboration with UNESCO is launching a call for remote access to quantum computing for healthcare and life sciences. Online learning resources and access to quantum hardware to test problem sets will be available to train researchers. Deadline: 31 January 2026. More

Research opportunity in Hungary: Momentum MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Momentum MSCA, a flagship five‑year initiative, is providing opportunities for up to 16–17 distinguished postdoctoral researchers from around the world. Deadline: 31 January 2026. More

Call for nomination to the 2027 Mustafa Prize
To promote the development of science and technology in the Islamic countries, the Mustafa Prize is open to Muslim scientists all around the world, and to all scientists residing in Islamic countries, regardless of their religion. Deadline: 20 February 2026. More

Towards the ocean we want
The Belmont Forum’s OCEAN 2 CRA is looking for transdisciplinary projects addressing global ocean challenges and contributing to the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Research consortia with participants from multiple countries and disciplines are invited to apply. Deadline for registering pre-proposals: 5 March 2026. More

Austrian Academy of Sciences: essay contest on how AI changes the scientific fields
With artificial intelligence reshaping every branch of science, the Austrian Academy of Sciences invites researchers from all disciplines to contribute their perspectives in the form of a written essay. Deadline: 30 April 2026. More

IUBMB runs an initiative for displaced scientists
The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has launched a Programme for Relocation Support for Displaced Trainees, to assist young scientists whose training has been hindered by conflict, violence, or disasters. More

Free UNESCO online course on AI
Civil servants worldwide may benefit from a free online course titled “AI and Digital Transformation in Government”, jointly launched by UNESCO and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The course offers 12 hours of guided learning on AI, ethics, human rights inclusive service design, and leadership for digital transformation. More

Free, self-paced online course on the future of oceans available from the Belmont Forum
The Belmont Forum, in partnership with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, and the Center for Climate Science and Resilience, has launched a free, certificate-based online course titled “A transdisciplinary approach to the future of the oceans”, devised for future applicants preparing consortia and project proposals. More

Practical tools for harnessing digital in science organizations
The International Science Council led the Digital Journeys project to define what 'digital maturity' is, and how organizations can evolve their strategies, culture, and systems to thrive in the digital age. Take a look at the practical tools they have built. More

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From left: Giuseppe Zafarana, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eni; Gerardin Mabia, recipient of the 2025 Eni Award for Young Talents from Africa; Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic; Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer of Eni. (Photo: Eni SpA)

Eni Award 2025. From left: Giuseppe Zafarana, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eni; Gerardin Mabia, recipient of the 2025 Eni Award for Young Talents from Africa; Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic; Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer of Eni. (Photo: Eni SpA)

"I am sincerely grateful to TWAS and BMFTR for the research grant and for providing this exceptional platform (...) The insights, connections, and skills
that I have gained will greatly strengthen my research leadership
and expand opportunities for collaboration across Africa."

Kudzai Mugadza, researcher and deputy director, Institute of Materials Science, Processing and Engineering Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe during the 2025 TWAS Skill Building Workshop.

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