The World Academy of Sciences (UNESCO-TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries, held its fifteen General Conference online between the first and fourth of November with support of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
The General Conference is a platform for recognizing, supporting and promoting excellence in scientific research in the developed and developing world. The topic of this year’s Conference, which drew prominent researchers and policy experts from around the world, was “the importance of scientific research to human well-being.”
KAUST President Tony F. Chan praised the standard of the events at this year’s Conference, saying: “What made this Conference truly exceptional are our speakers, experts, and most importantly, your participation. But beyond the words spoken, my fervent hope is that the calls to action will be met with action in your respective corners of the world.”
The event began with a two-hour General Meeting of TWAS Fellows and Young Affiliates in which they discussed Academy matters, and the meeting was followed by the General Conference, which included award ceremonies and several presentations.
The ministerial session, which tackled “Financing frontier science, technology and innovation for the SDGs,” was held on Tuesday, 2 November. During the session, prominent figures in science policy, government and international policymaking, including Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Assistant Director-General for Natural Science, on behalf of UNESCO Director-General, gave their remarks.
The ministerial session was followed by a variety of presentations given by experts from around the world, the most prominent was a presentation on “Digital Inclusion: Challenges and opportunities for connecting the unconnected in the post-COVID era,” in which Fadel Digham, from the National Telecom Regulatory Authority in Egypt, Karabulut Kurt Gunes Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Polytechnique Montreal, Head of the Digital Society Division in the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union Sylvia Poll, and Google VP and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google Vinton Cerf.
