World Academy of Art and Science


The World Academy of Art and Science is an international non-governmental scientific organization, a world network of more than 700 individual fellows from more than 80 countries. Fellows are elected for distinguished accomplishments in the sciences, arts and the humanities. The Academy strives to promote the growth of knowledge, enhance public awareness of the social consequences and policy implications of that growth, and provide "leadership in thought that leads to action". The spirit of the academy can be expressed in the words of Albert Einstein "The creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse to mankind".

History

The idea of founding the Academy and a set of world scientific and youth scientist and science journalist associations was proposed in an article in Time magazine on 1/10/1938 by philosopher and liberal-libertarian Etienne Gilson and during his tours of several scientific associations and universities in Europe and the Americas in the 1940s. He also proposed a world association of Liberal parties, what became www.liberal-international.org, to champion secular democracy and pave the way for better scientific communication and education in a time of growing totalitarianism.
The idea was echoed in the 1950s by leading scientists who were concerned about the potential for misuse of scientific discoveries. They included Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Joseph Rotblat who had been involved in the development of the atomic bomb; Bertrand Russell philosopher and pacifist; Joseph Needham, a co-founder of UNESCO; Lord Boyd Orr, the First Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization; George Brock Chisholm, the First Director General of the World Health Organization; John A. Fleming, former President of the International Council of Scientific Unions; as well as Hermann Joseph Muller, Harold C. Urey, Francis Perrin, Panchanan Maheshwari, Theodore Monod, Detlev Bronk, Harold Lasswell and other scholars and public figures. The Academy was organized in December 1960 with the aim of creating an informal world association of the highest scientific and ethical norms and standards.
Originally established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1960, in 2011 WAAS incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of California, USA. The Academy maintains offices in Napa, California; Zagreb, Croatia; Bucharest, Romania; and Pondicherry, India. It has a special division for South Eastern Europe.

Charter Members

  1. Pierre Auger, France
  2. I. Berenblum, Israel
  3. Lord John Boyd Orr, UK
  4. Hugo Boyko, Israel
  5. Lyle K Bush, US
  6. Ritchie Calder, UK
  7. G. Brock Chisholm, Canada
  8. Pierre Chouard, France
  9. Maurice Ewing, US
  10. R. M. Field, US
  11. , Belgium
  12. H. Munro Fox, UK
  13. F. R. Fosburg, US
  14. J. Heimanns, Netherlands
  15. A. Katchalsky, Israel
  16. George Laclavére, France
  17. Harold D. Lasswell, US
  18. W. C. de Leeuw, Netherlands
  19. G. Le Lionnaise, France
  20. P. Maheshvari, India
  21. J. van Mieghem, Belgium
  22. Théodore Monod, France
  23. Stuart Mudd, US
  24. Hermann Joseph Muller, US
  25. Joseph Needham, UK
  26. P. van Oye, Belgium
  27. Robert Oppenheimer, US
  28. Hugo Osvald, Sweden
  29. Paul Pallot, France
  30. Francis Perrin, France
  31. A. de Philippis, Italy
  32. John F. V. Phillips, South Africa
  33. Christian Poulsen, Denmark
  34. Boris Pregel, US
  35. J. Rotblat, UK
  36. Earl Bertrand Russell, UK
  37. Arthur William Samson, US
  38. M. J. Sirks, Netherlands
  39. Harlan Stetson, US
  40. W. F. G. Swann, US
  41. W. Taylor Thom, Jr., US
  42. Solco W. Tromp, Netherlands
  43. Harold C. Urey, US
  44. Franz Verdoorn, Netherlands
  45. Walter W. Weisbach, Netherlands
  46. :sq:Albert_Nikolla|Albert V. Nikolla, Albania

    Members

At present the Academy's membership consists of 730 Fellows, Associate Fellows and Junior Fellows from all parts of the world, representing virtually all fields of science, social sciences, arts and humanities, as well as educators, political leaders, diplomats and heads of leading international NGOs. Fellows are nominated by existing members and directly elected by the members. To be a Fellow of the Academy is to be a member of the global civil society, concerned for the welfare of the increasingly interconnected global civilization with a demonstrated commitment to addressing issues of global importance. Principal criteria for election include:
Election in the WAAS is considered as one of the highest honors that can be accorded a scientist. Fellows include leading artists, politicians, statesmen, former heads of various countries, heads of research institutes and international organizations, Nobel Prize winners and business leaders. Fellows of the Academy are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FWAAS.

Reliable Knowledge

In its approach to the challenges confronting humanity today, the Academy seeks to apply a comprehensive, integrated, human-centered conception of Reliable Knowledge encompassing seven dimensions. The framework is based on the premise that actions based on partial, piecemeal approaches are inadequate to address the pressing problems confronting humanity today and most often lead to unexpected side-effects generative of new and more complex problems.

Programs

The central objective of the Academy’s activities is to develop ideas, strategies and initiatives to promote a New Paradigm of Human Development appropriate to the needs of the 21st Century. WAAS’ current programming focuses on addressing challenges in the fields of democracy, economy and employment, ecology, education, global governance and rule of law, nuclear disarmament, peace and international security, scientific and technological development and application.
Current programs of the Academy include specific initiatives focusing on
The Academy’s founders intended that WAAS should function as "an informal World University at the highest scientific and ethical level, in which deep human understanding and fullest sense of responsibility will meet." Although some modest beginnings were made to establish a few regional centers of excellence, political conditions at the height of the Cold War, as well as limitations in transport and global communication, posed insurmountable obstacles to realize this vision at the time. Rapid advances in telecommunications and educational technology over the past decade created the opportunity to realize the vision of WAAS Founders.
The World University Consortium in 2013 is a major initiative of the Academy to design a global system of higher education attuned to emerging opportunities and challenges.
Following a major international conference on Global Higher Education organized by the Academy at the University of California at Berkeley in October 2013, the World University Consortium was incorporated in California as a non-governmental organization to promote accessible, affordable, quality education at the global level founded on universal human values, relevant to the emerging needs of the 21st century, oriented to promote full employment, and capable of developing the full potential of each individual student for personal accomplishment and contribution to the collective progress of humanity.
WUC is intended to become a global network and umbrella group working to facilitate educational partnerships and linkages with interested stakeholders with shared goals, to explore creative solutions to enhance the reach, quality and relevance of higher education globally, to provide a platform for new ideas, trans-disciplinary perspectives and integrated courseware intended to address global opportunities and challenges, and to develop ways to draw upon the extensive knowledge and experience acquired by organizations outside the traditional field of academia which possess essential knowledge for addressing real-world problems.

Publications

WAAS has been granted ‘Special Consultative Status’ by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July 2017. WAAS was granted ‘Consultative Status’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2019.
WAAS works in partnership with a wide range of leading international institutions including CERN, Club of Madrid, Club of Rome, Fundación Cultura de Paz, Green Cross International , Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Library of Alexandria, The Mother’s Service Society, Nizami Ganjavi International Centre, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, Ethical Markets Media, European Leadership Network, European Scientific Institute, Foundation for a Culture of Peace, The InterAcademy Partnership, The Millennium Project, United Nations Academic Impact.

Management

The Academy is managed by a 18-member board of trustees and a nine-member Executive Committee. The principal officers are:
Garry Jacobs, President & Chief Executive Officer
Donato Kiniger-Passigli, Vice President
Nebojša Neškovic, Secretary General
Ivo Šlaus, Honorary President
Alberto Zucconi, Chairman of the Board
Rodolfo Fiorini, Trustee
Thomas Reuter, Trustee
Natalia Pogozheva, Acting Treasurer
Mila Popovich, Chair Nominations

Past presidents of the World Academy

  1. Lord John Boyd Orr
  2. Hugo Boyko
  3. Stuart Mudd
  4. Marion Mushkat
  5. Detlev Bronk
  6. Harold Lasswell
  7. Walter Isard
  8. Ronald St. John Macdonald
  9. Carl-Göran Hedén
  10. Harlan Cleveland
  11. Walter Truett Anderson
  12. Ivo Slaus
  13. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza