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Welcome to our December newsletter, bringing you the latest on our activities since October.
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News
We need a new global science for the urban era, according to an expert report on Science and the Future of Cities, which calls for a global assessment on sustainable urbanisation to examine the state of knowledge on urban trends, dynamics and challenges across scales.
The strategy for the African Open Science Platform was presented at the Science Forum South Africa. The platform aims to put African scientists at the forefront of data-intensive open science.
A side event at COP24 highlighted the knowledge gaps for effective urban responses to climate change. The side event was co-organized by the ISC and C40 to gather responses to the CitiesIPCC Research and Action Agenda and to consider key challenges and knowledge gaps for urban research - a video of the session is available.
The Africa Working Group for Urban Health was launched by the ISC and the International Society of Urban Health at the International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) in Kampala, Uganda. The conference connected research and policy to stimulate more effective management of our urban areas for health and health equity. The next ICUH conference, in November 2019, will be hosted by the ISC Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme and the Chinese Academy of Science in Xiamen, China.
The International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) held its biennial conference in Tokyo, Japan, with speakers such as Helen Clark calling on scientists to work with policy-makers in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We witnessed a milestone in the history of science, as the International System of Units (SI) for the kilogram, ampere, kelvin and mole were redefined based on values deduced from fundamental laws. The redefinition was informed by the work of the ISC Committee on Data (CODATA) Task Group on Fundamental Physical Constants.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has opened a call for nominations of experts for the forthcoming thematic assessment of invasive alien species. Interested experts are requested to apply online by 11 January 2019.
IPBES is also accepting nominations of early-career experts on invasive alien species for its Fellowship Programme. Those interested should make contact with IPBES National Focal Points and apply by 15 February 2019.
Over 800 data professionals and researchers met in Gaborone, Botswana, for International Data Week 2018. The week was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Botswana, and included panels with science ministers from several African countries.
Governing Board member Anna Davies was named 'Researcher of the Year' by the Irish Research Council (IRC), and our Chief Executive Officer Heide Hackmann was appointed a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of IIASA.
Finally, the 'right to science' as enshrined in the Universal Declaration for Human Rights was the theme for this year's World Science Day for Peace and Development on 10 November. As the Declaration turns 70, it's an opportune moment to re-assert the human right to access and participate in science and its benefits.
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Take part in preparations for the 2019 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Resilience (GPDRR)
The Council is helping to coordinate the participation of the Science & Technology Community in the 2019 GPDRR, which takes place 13-17 May in Geneva, Switzerland.
On the margins of the GPDRR, we are planning a Science Policy Forum for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework together with UNISDR, the UNISDR Science Technology Advisory Group and the IRDR (Integrated Research on Disaster Risk) programme. The Science Policy Forum will take place on 13-14 May 2019.
If you are interested in participating actively in the Science and Technology preparatory work for the 2019 GPDRR, including the Science Policy Forum, please complete the short survey here by 15 January 2019. |
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ASTC joins the ISC
The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) has become an Affiliated Member of the Council. The ASTC represents over 600 members worldwide, including science centres and museums, planetariums, botanical gardens and zoos. The ASTC and its members aim to advance the public understanding of science, and we're very pleased to welcome them to our community of members.
Discover all the ISC members on our website.
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News from our Regional Offices
Latin America & the Caribbean
In early December, the ROLAC office hosted a symposium on ancestral knowledge at the University of El Salvador. The goal was to create a network on ancestral knowledge and knowledge dialogues, and to create awareness of Indigenous people and their plight among the general population. Experts from all over Latin America attended, and also had the chance to visit Joya de Ceren, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ROLAC office also held its second Regional Committee Meeting of the year in San Salvador, El Salvador. The meeting included discussion of the work of the Secretariat and the election of Dr Ana Rada as new Chair of the Regional Committee.
More news from our Regional Office for Latin America & the Caribbean
News from our Regional Office for Africa and Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific can be found on our website.
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Events
Webinar: The role of science and academia in SDG review. 16 January 2019, 13:00-14:00 CET.
International Year of the Periodic Table: Opening ceremony. 29 January 2019. Paris, France.
Setting their Table: Women and the Periodic Table of Elements. 11-12 February 2019. Murcia, Spain.
6th Annual Ethnografilm Festival. 16-20 April 2019. Paris, France.
World Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference. 19-21 May 2019. Toronto, Canada.
European Society for Ecological Economics Conference (ESEE2019). 18-21 June 2019. Turku, Finland.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) 2019 World Chemistry Congress and General Assembly. 5-12 July 2019. Paris, France.
27th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly. 8-18 July 2019. Montreal, Canada.
International Congress of Toxicology (ICTXV). 15-18 July 2019. Honolulu, USA.
International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics. 15-19 July 2019. Valencia, Spain.
29th International Cartographic Conference and 18th General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association (ICA). 15-20 July 2019. Tokyo, Japan.
International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Congress 2019. 25-31 July 2019. Dublin, Ireland.
Global Crises and Social Policy: Coping with Conflict, Migration and Climate Change. 28-30 August 2019. Mannheim, Germany.
Ocean Obs' 19. 16-20 September, 2019. Honolulu, USA.
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress 2019. 29 Sept.-5 Oct. 2019. Curitiba, Brazil.
17th International Congress of Immunology.19-23 October 2019. Beijing, China.
4th Symposium of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). 4-8 November 2019. Herzliya, Israel.
43rd Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). 15-23 August 2020. Sydney, Australia.
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