TWAS Plus - Vol. 12 No. 4 - August 2026

TWAS Plus — News and Opportunities from The World Academy of Sciences
Lamberto Moruzzi, Director for Scientific, Space, and Sports Diplomacy within the Directorate-General for Growth at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). (Photo: G.Ortolani/TWAS)

TOP STORY

TWAS and the American Association for the Advancement of Science brought together 12 pairs of scientists and policymakers from 13 countries, for the 13th AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy (21–23 July). The event opened with welcome addresses from Lamberto Moruzzi, Director for Scientific, Space and Sports Diplomacy at MAECI, and Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region. More

TWAS OPPORTUNITIES

TWAS is expanding its storytelling on Instagram. Visit our page and follow us to discover the people and the science behind TWAS's mission. More

Generative AI and its impact on education and mental health
How does generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) work? What are its ethical and legal issues, the threats and challenges it presents to higher education and people's mental health? Professor Ricardo Baeza-Yates will deliver an online lecture titled ‘Generative AI and its impact on education and mental health’, on 10 August at 4 pm CEST. Free registration here.

The TWAS—M.S. Swaminathan Achievement Grant in Food Science is open
A new funding opportunity to inspire efforts towards a just and sustainable world by encouraging the pursuit of scientific excellence in food science, with a clear vision for future scientific advancements in food science, is available through the TWAS—M.S. Swaminathan Achievement Grant in Food Science. It honours the legacy of Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, a TWAS Founding Fellow, and covers the following areas: food systems research and application, nutrition, healthy diet, and climate resilient food systems. Established by TWAS and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, it is sponsored by the Gates Foundation for five editions. Deadline: 10 August. More

TWAS NEWS

Science diplomacy: building common interests with global inclusion 
TWAS and TYAN launched a Joint Seminar Series designed to provide a platform for addressing shared global challenges and fostering dialogue across borders and disciplines. The first webinar featured Prof. Paul Arthur Berkman, who delivered a presentation titled ‘Science diplomacy: building common interests with global inclusion’. The event took place online on 13 July. Watch the video

Rethinking research: the role of humans in scientific discovery in the age of LLMs 
To explore the opportunities, challenges, and growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science worldwide, particularly in the global South, TWAS launched a monthly Distinguished Speaker Webinar Series. The second webinar featured Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FRS FREng, Senior Vice President (Research & Special Initiatives), a distinguished Professor of Engineering, academic leader, and entrepreneur, who delivered a lecture titled ‘Rethinking research: the role of humans in scientific discovery in the age of LLMs’. The event took place online on 22 June. Watch the video

TWAS Fellow Guo Huadong receives the 2026 IAF Hall of Fame Award 
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) has named Prof. Guo Huadong—elected to TWAS in 2012 and the director general of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS)—as the recipient of the 2026 IAF Hall of Fame Award. More

African scientists gathered for a skill building workshop in Accra 
From 16–18 June, TWAS organized the 2026 TWAS Skill Building Workshop in Accra, Ghana, bringing together 26 early-career scientists supported through the Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI) Programme. The workshop, a component of the SG-NAPI programme, supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space of Germany (BMFTR), aimed to strengthen research capacity and foster collaboration across the continent. More

Building international networks of climate ambassadors 
TWAS organized a TWAS Climate Training Workshop, through generous support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The event was held from 5–7 May, and aimed to strengthen the participation and visibility of researchers from the global South in international climate science processes. More

Photo Essay: TWAS supporting science in Kenya 
Through grant programmes supported by Sida and BMFTR, TWAS strengthens researchers and institutions across the country. By building research capacity at the institutional level, these programmes help Kenyan science address local challenges while remaining connected to the global scientific community. More

Asha Mathur: a legacy supporting young virologists
After Asha Mathur passed away on 1 August 2024, her family established the Asha Mathur Research and Education Trust (AMRET) to ensure that the support she provided in her life to young virologists would continue. The first-ever Prof. Asha Mathur Research Fellow is PhD student Valiyaveettil Sreelakshmi. More

Inter-laboratory comparison on water quality analysis report is available
The 2025 inter-laboratory comparison on determining ammonia and cadmium in water was jointly organized by the water quality analysis laboratory of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment. The 2025 report is now available. More

Big data, analytics, and machine intelligence take centre stage in Nigeria 
The 22nd TYAN International Thematic Workshop titled ‘From data to impact: inclusive AI solutions for Nigeria and the global South’, organized jointly with the 5th African Symposium in Akure, Nigeria, brought together 84 distinguished academics, researchers, technology experts, and students from Africa and beyond. During the three-day event on 18–20 June, speakers and participants discussed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven innovations can have a beneficial impact on society. More

ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS

IAP

IAP Annual Report 2025
Explore the IAP Annual Report 2025, featuring highlights from the Triennial Conference, global partnerships and key initiatives that shaped IAP's work throughout the year. The achievements presented in the report reflect the commitment of IAP's members and partners to advancing science in the public interest. More

New milestones for the IAP Science Education Programme
The IAP Science Education Programme advances with new projects in Nigeria, Pakistan and Argentina, preparations for IAP-ISSE 2026 International School of Science Education at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, and the upcoming Global Council meeting. More

Vice-President of Guatemala meets OWSD
At the 2026 Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, OWSD was honoured to briefly meet H.E. Karin Herrera, Vice-President of Guatemala, who is also a scientist. More

2027 conferences and workshops at ICTP
ICTP has released its 2027 calendar of conferences, schools, and workshops, offering scientists and mathematicians from all corners of the globe opportunities for international collaborations. Some 72 activities will take place throughout the year in Trieste and around the world, covering all of ICTP's research fields. 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-CASAREP young scientists' meeting on innovative materials
Leading scientists, researchers, academicians and policymakers are invited to explore advances in materials science, nanotechnology, healthcare innovations and sustainable development during a hybrid event. Join the TWAS-CASAREP young scientists' meeting on ‘Innovative materials and technologies for a sustainable and resilient future’, on 20–21 August 2026, from 14:30 to 17:30 IST. Register here

Sandhya S. Visweswariah to serve on WHO Science Council
Sandhya S. Visweswariah, a TWAS Fellow from India, has been invited to join the WHO Science Council, a select group of around 20 scientists that advises the WHO Director-General on high-priority scientific issues and emerging advances in science and technology with the potential to shape global health. The appointment is for an initial two-year term. More

UNESCO renews chair held by TWAS Fellow
Ali A. Moosavi-Movahedi, a TWAS Fellow from Iran, has been reappointed as UNESCO Chair on Interdisciplinary Research in Diabetes at the University of Tehran's Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics for a four-year term. The Chair will continue to advance interdisciplinary research, education, and international collaboration on diabetes and metabolic disorders. More

Animal Behavior Society elects TWAS Fellow
Raghavendra Gadagkar, a TWAS Fellow from India, has been elected a 2026 Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society (USA). The distinction recognizes his outstanding contributions to the study of animal behaviour and his longstanding impact on the field through research, mentorship, and scientific leadership. More

TWAS Fellow receives global cancer consortium award
Partha P. Majumder, a TWAS Fellow from India, has received the Global Cancer Consortium Oration Award 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to human genetics and cancer research. His recent study, published in Molecular Medicine, identified genetic markers that can predict oral cancer patients' response to immunotherapy, advancing more precise and affordable diagnostic strategies for one of the world's most common cancers. More

TWAS Fellow Tofazzal Islam advances wheat disease detection
Tofazzal Islam, a TWAS Fellow from Bangladesh, and his team have developed the world's first CRISPR-free rapid diagnostic kit for wheat blast, a major threat to global food security. The low-cost, portable test detects the fungal pathogen in just 30 minutes, enabling faster disease surveillance, quarantine, and protection of wheat crops, particularly in developing countries. More

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

UNESCO launches AI infrastructure access programme
UNESCO and the Computing and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI-Lab/CBPF) at the Brazilian Center for Physics Research have launched a new call for remote access to advanced artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure. The initiative, aligned with UNESCO's open science agenda, will provide researchers with access to cutting-edge computing resources supporting data-intensive research in various fields. Deadline: 31 August. More

DOCiD™: unlocking African research
TWAS, the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions, in collaboration with the Training Centre in Communication (TCC-Africa) and the Africa PID Alliance (APA), are organizing a webinar titled ‘DOCiD™️ and the Future of African Research Infrastructure: Advancing Open Science, Knowledge Stewardship, and Persistent Digital Objects’. The webinar will be held via Zoom, on Monday 21 September at 2 pm (Rome time). It will showcase how DOCiD™ helps institutions organize and structure research collections, particularly in the social sciences, arts, and humanities. TWAS Executive Director Marcelo Knobel will be among the speakers. Free registration is available here.

2027 Antonio Feltrinelli Awards awaiting for candidates
Nominations are open for the national and international 2027 Antonio Feltrinelli Prizes, of the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Prizes are conferred to distinguished scholars in the following fields: humanities; physical, mathematical and natural sciences; literature; arts; and medicine. A prize for an exceptional enterprise of high moral and humanitarian value is also awarded. Deadline: 31 October. More

Call for papers from global South and indigenous researchers
The Royal Society journal Open Biology invites researchers in molecular and cellular biology from the global South and indigenous communities to propose papers for the special feature Beyond Boundaries: Celebrating Global South and Indigenous Contributions to Molecular and Cellular Biology. The initiative will highlight innovative research, diverse biological perspectives, and community led approaches from regions and groups underrepresented in mainstream publishing. Deadline: 31 December 2026. More

The 8th inter-laboratory comparison on water quality analysis announced
The 8th inter-laboratory comparison on water quality analysis has been launched, to determine sulfate and arsenic concentrations in water. The initiative is organized by the CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment, and the Water Quality Analysis Laboratory at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The project is supported by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China and the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions. Participation is free. More

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Priscilla Mante during the TYAN workshop. (Photo: G.Ortolani/TWAS)

A participant speaks during the 13th AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy. 
(Photo: G. Ortolani/TWAS)

“Science diplomacy must be the foundation for addressing 
complex challenges with evidence, transparency, 
shared responsibility and common global standards and governance.” 

Lamberto Moruzzi, Director for Scientific, Space, and Sports Diplomacy 
within the Directorate-General for Growth 
at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). 

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