Applications Invited for AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy Training Programme

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About the Organization

The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries, known worldwide by its acronym, TWAS, supports sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy. The Academy is based in Trieste, Italy.

TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They shared a belief that developing nations, by building strength in science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. From the start, the Academy had essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders.

About the Event

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington DC, USA, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy, are seeking candidates to participate in the annual summer course on science diplomacy to be held on 17-21 June 2024 in person in Trieste, Italy.

The workshop will take place as follows:

• 17 June (Monday): Welcome dinner
• 18-20 June (Tuesday – Thursday): workshop
• 21 June (Friday half day): end of activities & wrapping up

The AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy training programme was established in 2014 to expose scientists, policymakers, diplomats and other interested stakeholders and institutions to science diplomacy concepts, explore key contemporary international policy issues relating to science, technology, environment and health, and build a skillset to allow for careers at the intersection of science and diplomacy. Over the past years, we have trained over two hundred emerging leaders from more than 50 countries to address science diplomacy from global and regional perspectives.

Eligibility

To strengthen the connection between scientists and governmental officials, policymakers and diplomats, applications to attend the course are being invited from ‘participant pairs’. Both participants in the participant pair should ideally be living and/or working in the same country, but not be working at the same institution. Priority will be given to participant pairs from developing countries, and especially Science and Technology lagging countries.

The applicants in the ‘participant pair’ should share some common interest in the areas of science, technology and innovation. However, it is not necessary that they work or have been working together in the past.

The ‘participant pair’ will include:

Participant 1: a Early-Career Scientist (preferably 40 years or below) whose research and wider engagement has international policymaking implications or applications, and

Participant 2: a Policymaker from the policymaking arena, working on science, technology, and innovation-related matters. This person should belong to one of the following categories:

• A local or national government official.
• A policymaker.
• A diplomat.
• Staff at an academy of sciences at supervisory level.
• Civil servant.
• A representative of a research funding institution.
• Staff or expert working for and/or with an international (e.g. UN) organization.

Since 2021, 124 scientists and policymakers from 45 countries have attended the course as participant pairs.

The aim of the pairing is to help develop long-term science policy connections. Therefore, early-career scientists applicants are encouraged to check with the head of their home institute for suggestions on a possible suitable co-applicant from the policymaking arena.

The two participants in the participant pair will apply individually, but must confirm their participant pair partner on their application and explain why it is a good partnership. Thus, participant pairs must have agreed in advance about their ‘twinned’ applications.

Commitment to attend all days of the course is expected from both members of the selected pairs. Therefore, if one member of the pair will not be able to commit to attend the whole workshop, this will automatically disqualify the other component of the pair.

Alumni of the course will join a global network of young leaders and innovators reaching across borders to address societal challenges and become agents of change in their countries and sectors.

How to Apply

Twin Applications must be submitted online as follows:

Participant 1 in participant pair (Early-Career Scientist) must apply via the link https://forms.office.com/r/dbNWqg6dfZ

Participant 2 in participant pair (from the policymaking arena as indicated above) must apply via the link https://forms.office.com/r/1drUmpTnAe

The deadline for submitting applications is 5 February 2024 (at midnight, CET time zone).

Successful candidates will be informed by the end of March 2024.

For more information on the science and diplomacy programme, please see http://twas.org/science-diplomacy.

For any queries, please contact: sciencediplomacy@twas.org

For more information please check the Link