For the latest information on IANAS activities, visit the IANAS website at: www.ianas.org/

Selection of IANAS Activities:

2010 ...

The Women for Science Working Group (WfS-WG) of the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) will be officially launched at its first meeting on 11 June 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in conjunction with the VII Meeting of the National Focal Points of the IANAS Science Education Program. The mandate of the IANAS “Women for Science” Working Group is to advise IANAS and its member academies on fostering a climate in the sciences that is welcoming to women, and to alert IANAS and its academies to the gender aspects and issues encountered in their work and programs. The WfS-WG will develop a Plan of Action for the IANAS member academies to strengthen participation of girls and women in S&T in the following key areas:

·         promoting education in S&T for girls and women;

·     •   increasing the visibility of women scientists/engineers;

·        supporting  networking, leadership training and mentoring for women in science.

·  b  building an inclusive institutional culture in S&T organizations, including science academies;

For more information on the WfS-WG, contact:  shuyer@twows.org

2009 ...

The IANAS “Women for Science Symposium” was hosted by the Mexican Academy of Sciences in Mexico City on April 20-21, 2009. The symposium was organized with the support of IAP, the Mexican National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT) and ICSU's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICSU-LAC). The agenda, list of participants, presentations and final report are available on the IANAS website at: http://www.ianas.org/mexico_en.asp

2008 ...

The Interamerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS), with the support of IAP and in partnership with the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Argentina and the Argentinean Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, organized the IANAS Workshop "Toward a Sustainable Energy Future", which was held at the headquarters of the Argentinean Center of Engineers, in Buenos Aires, on 30-31 October 2008.  The workshop brought together 130 high-level experts from 15 different countries, covering North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean region. The agenda, list of participants, final report, and copies of the presentations can be viewed on the IANAS website at: http://www.ianas.org/BuenosAires_en.asp

2006 ...

-  IAP and IANAS co-sponsored a regional workshop for the Americas on "Bridging Water Research and Management: Enhancing Water Management Capacity in the Hemisphere", which was held from 24-28 July 2006 in São Paulo. The workshop, organized by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, focused on regional problems, aiming to identify areas where existing programmes for water conservation, wastewater treatment, contamination, and the rational use of the existing resources can be improved.

- IANAS, the Caribbean Scientific Union (CSU), and CARISCIENCE, in association with UNESCO, held a Conference on "Harnessing Science and Technology for Caribbean Development" in Trinidad and Tobago from 9-13 May 2006. For additional information contact: haroldramkissoon@hotmail.com.

2005

- IANAS, the InterAmerican Network of Science Academies, organized a Summit of the Americas in November 2005. The focus of this Summit was the fight against poverty, creation of employment and democratic governance. For further details, contact the IANAS Secretariat at: ianas@abc.org.br

- One of IANAS's main programmes, water, was on the agenda at the 1st national 'focal point' meeting held at the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, in Bogotá, 12-13 March 2005. The meeting was coordinated by the Brazilian and Mexican Academies of Sciences. For additional information, contact the IANAS secretariat: mcbs@abc.org.br

2004

- IANAS held its first steering committee on 5 November 2004 at the headquarters of the Royal Society of Canada in Ontario. Participants assessed the first year's activities and discussed plans for the the following months.

- The IANAS Science Education Programme, inspired by experiences developed by Academies in the region, was created under the leadership of the Chilean Academy of Sciences. This initiative includes a global review of the teaching of science to children at the school level. With an initial 5 year scope, the general objective of this programme is to improve the level and the relevance of science education in the hemisphere, through the active participation of members of science academies of the Americas, working together with teachers and educational authorities. The initial focus of the program was on elementary level science education. However, it was decided that activities on secondary and undergraduate science education would also be considered.

- The IANAS regional water programme was created with the aim to aid national governments in addressing the issue of access to clean water. The challenges of water scarcity require a vigorous scientific, technological and managerial action in order to: adequately and better use the existing supplies; recover degraded surfaces and groundwater reserves; and secure for the future generations the necessary water resources. To face this situation, it is necessary to improve programmes of conservation and to provide scientific and technological tools to assure a more rational use of the water supplies. The Brazilian and the Mexican Academies of Sciences were asked to coordinate this programme.

Links to:

IANAS Bulletin, available from: http://www.ianas.org/boletim_en.asp

Press release on the establishment of IANAS

 ]]>0cspaulding@diamax.comThu, 13 May 2010 09:17:00 GMT 3500-Wed, 06 Jul 2005 13:08:30 GMThttp://www.interacademies.net/CMS/Programmes/3128/3498/3500.aspx0cspaulding@diamax.comWed, 06 Jul 2005 13:08:30 GMT 3502-Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:37:36 GMThttp://www.interacademies.net/CMS/Programmes/3128/3498/3502.aspxA BOLD NEW INITIATIVE TO BUILD SCIENCE CAPACITIES,
PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR HEMISPHERE

June 02, 2004 - The Academies of Sciences of the countries of the Americas met in Santiago, Chile, from May 5 - 7, 2004, to establish the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS). This new organization is dedicated to building scientific capacities in each country by:

- strengthening science and technology relationships as a tool for societal development;
- enhancing capacities of the Academies of the region through exchange of information and experience;
- helping establish Academies in countries lacking such institutions; and
- influencing the scientific decision making processes in the Americas, with the goal of increasing the quality of life of citizens of the Americas.

IANAS identified science education and water as top priorities for the first two initiatives of the network. The education program will focus on Elementary level science education, however, activities on secondary and tertiary science education will also be considered. Working together with teachers and educational authorities, the members of Science Academies of the Americas aim to improve the level and relevance of science education in the hemisphere. The innovative Inquiry-Based Science Education is the centerpiece of the program, led by the Chilean Academy of Sciences.

Access to clean water is a major challenge in the 21st century. This program, led by the Brazilian and Mexican Academies of Sciences, will include capacity building for water resources management, the development of research resulting in new water management strategies, leading to better recycling and conservation methodologies.

Howard Alper (Royal Society of Canada) and Hernan Chaimovich Guralnik (Brazilian Academy of Sciences) were elected as Co-Chairs of the network for a three-year period from 2004 to 2007. (Bios are attached for both Alper and Chaimovich). The Academies from Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, the US and the Caribbean Scientific Union were elected as members of the Executive Board.

Key multilateral organizations present at the meeting, including the Organization of American States, UNESCO, the InterAcademy Panel, the International Council for Science, and the InterAmerican Development Bank expressed support for IANAS as a bold new initiative that will play an important role in advancing science and the quality of life in the American hemisphere. For further information, please contact:

Hernan Chaimovich
Email: hchaimo@usp.br

Howard Alper
Email: halper@uottawa.ca]]>0cspaulding@diamax.comFri, 15 Apr 2005 10:37:36 GMT