Insight November 2011

If you are having problems viewing this email, please click here to view the newsletter online. Feature item ICSU’s new Strategic Plan published Nov 23, 2011 Approved by the 30th General Assembly in Rome, the full text of the ICSU Strategic Plan II, 2012-2017 is now available. Like its predecessor, this Second Strategic Plan lays out how ICSU intends to build on the strengths of its global network of international disciplinary Unions, National Member organizations and strategic partners to address key issues for science and society over the coming medium term.
It builds on the successes and lessons learned from the past, and seeks to anticipate and address some of the major challenges for the future. It defines the operating space for ICSU during the next six-year period while at the same time leaving room for new ideas and areas to be nurtured and developed. It includes a summary of achievements – including the completion and launching of new global initiatives – during the period 2006-2011. The 51-page Plan is the result of an extensive consultation and planning process among the ICSU membership, headed by the ICSU Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR). Read more ...

News Planning moves ahead on ESSI Nov 23, 2011 The Earth System Sustainability Initiative (ESSI) will provide a new overarching framework for global environmental change research - and be expected to unify or strategically integrate relevant components of the existing ICSU-sponsored Global Environmental Change Programmes. Read more ... Rio+20 policy briefs released by the GEC Programmes Nov 23, 2011 The first five Rio+20 policy briefs have been released by the Global Environmental Change (GEC) programmes. The policy briefs specifically target policy-makers in the Rio+20 process, aiming to give them access to the latest scientific thinking on sustainable development. Read more ... ICSU-UNESCO Regional Science and Technology Workshops for Rio+20 Nov 17, 2011 Between April and October 2011, ICSU and UNESCO held five Rio+20 regional science and technology workshops: for Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Arab States, and Europe. Read more ... Videos of the 30th General Assembly Nov 17, 2011 The video recordings of the presidential talks and invited guest lectures from the 30th ICSU General Assembly in Rome are now available. Read more ... Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) conference concludes Nov 08, 2011 The IRDR kick-off conference devoted to Disaster Risk: Integrating Science and Practice came to a successful end on Wednesday 2 November in Beijing. Read more ... Climate Research in the Next Decade of Earth System Research Nov 07, 2011 Professor Deliang Chen - ICSU Executive Director - gave a keynote opening speech at the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Open Science Conference, and was featured in a conference interview. Read more ... Freedom and responsibility blog: entries open for comments Nov 07, 2011 The freedom and responsibility portal now includes a blog that gives ICSU Members and the wider science community an opportunity to comment on ICSU's activities in this realm. Read more ... DFG chief announces global sustainability initiatives with ICSU Oct 11, 2011 In the course of his Guest Lecture at the opening of the 30th General Assembly of ICSU in Rome, Professor Matthias Kleiner, President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the German Research Foundation, announced two projects that DFG would sponsor and organize jointly with ICSU. Read more ... Nobel Prize laureate Lee takes over as new President of ICSU Oct 05, 2011 Yuan Tseh Lee, a leading chemist from China: Taipei, took office as the new President of the International Council for Science (ICSU) at the conclusion of the organization’s 30th General Assembly last week in Rome. Read more ... New directions agreed at the ICSU General Assembly Oct 05, 2011 Over 300 people took part in the 30th ICSU General Assembly in Rome on 27-30 September and approved the organization's Strategic Plan for the next six years. Read more ... Canadian climate change expert elected future President Oct 05, 2011 Gordon McBean, an internationally recognized meteorologist and climate change expert, was named as the future President of the International Council for Science (ICSU) at the conclusion of the 30th ICSU General Assembly in Rome on 30 September. He is set to succeed the current ICSU President, Yuan Tseh Lee, in October 2014, and will be the first Canadian to take up this office. Read more ... News from the Regions Latin America and the Caribbean Changes to the composition of RCLAC Nov 11, 2011 During its 10th Meeting in Rome, Italy in September 2011, several changes to the composition of the ICSU Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (RCLAC) were announced. Read more ... Recommendations: ICSU-UNESCO Rio+20 Regional Science and Technology Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean Aug 30, 2011 The recommendations from the Regional Workshop have now been finalised, and address the main themes of Rio+20: the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; the institutional framework for sustainable development; and new and emerging challenges. Read more ... Africa Recommendations: ICSU-UNESCO RIO+20 Regional Science and Technology Workshop for Africa Oct 18, 2011 The recommendations from the RIO+20 Regional Workshop for Africa organized by the ICSU Regional Office for Africa (ICSU ROA) and the UNESCO Nairobi Office from 30 May to 1 June 2011 in Pretoria, South Africa are now available Read more ... ICSU-UNESCO Rio+20 Regional Workshop Science and Technology for Africa - Report Sep 26, 2011 The International Council for Science Regional Office for Africa (ICSU ROA) and the United Nations, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized a Rio+20 Regional Science and Technology Workshop for Africa which was aimed at providing a platform for natural scientists, social scientists and engineers from Africa to prepare joint position and concerted inputs into the African intergovernmental Rio+20 Regional Preparatory Meeting being organized on 20-25 October 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Read more ... Asia and the Pacific Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific meets in Cebu Nov 10, 2011 The 12th Meeting of the ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific (RCAP) is being held in Cebu, the Philippines on 11-12 November 2011, hosted by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP). Read more ... Chair ICSU RCAP elected President-Designate of IUPAP Nov 08, 2011 The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) has elected Professor Bruce McKellar, the Chair of the ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific, as its President-designate. Read more ... Sharing Scientific Data with a Focus on Developing Countries Nov 08, 2011 ICSU ROAP encourages scientist in the region to support the issues described in the Advisory Note from the ICSU Committee of Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct of Science (CFRS). Read more ... The Dupont Summit 2011: Call for Proposals Oct 21, 2011 ICSU ROAP encourages interested scientist in the region to participate in the programme of the Dupont Summit 2011 on Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Issues, to be held at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC, on Friday 2 December 2011. Read more ... ICSU Publications ICSU Strategic Plan II, 2012-2017 Nov 23, 2011 Like its predecessor, this document lays out how ICSU intends to build on the strengths of its global network of international disciplinary Unions, National Member organizations and strategic partners to address key issues for science and society over the coming six-years. Read more ... Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment Nov 04, 2011 ICSU publishes a Science Plan on the basis of which the 30th General Assembly decided to launch a major new, ten-year, interdisciplinary initiative on Urban Health and Wellbeing. Read more ... 105th Meeting of the Executive Board Nov 02, 2011 Decisions taken at the 105th Meeting of the ICSU Executive Board. Read more ... Advisory Note "Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) System" Oct 10, 2011 This Advisory Note is concerned with the freedom and responsibility of individual scientists and the world scientific community with respect to access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits arising from their use, as described in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992). Read more ... Advisory Note "Bias in science publishing" Oct 10, 2011 The foundation for science is published evidence. While researchers, editors and peer reviewers must all exercise careful judgment in determining what is published, to maintain the integrity of the scientific literature, bias must conscientiously be avoided, or, at least, recognized and acknowledged. To that end, researchers have a responsibility to strive to be objective when they gather and interpret data, and submit papers to journals. Similarly, editors and publishers have responsibilities to avoid undue bias in selecting papers for publication, and reviewers must remain disinterested. Read more ... Rio+20 statements from ICSU Members Sep 08, 2011 Some of ICSU's Members have submitted statements for Rio+20, which ICSU will draw on for its oral and written submissions to the Rio+20 process. Read more ... 104th Meeting of the Executive Board Aug 31, 2011 Decisions taken at the 104th Meeting of the ICSU Executive Board. Read more ... Nominations CSPR nominations 2012-2015 Oct 12, 2011 The Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR) will guide the implementation of ICSU’s Strategic Plan for 2012-17, which was approved at the recent General Assembly in Rome. Nominations are invited from ICSU National and Union Members, Interdisciplinary Bodies and Associate Members for this key committee. Deadline for receipt is Friday, 16 December 2011. Read more ... CFRS nominations 2012-2015 Oct 17, 2011 The Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct of Science (CFRS) is a key ICSU policy committee responsible for promoting the Principle of Universality of Science. Nominations for individuals to serve on the committee are now invited from ICSU National and Union Members, Interdisciplinary Bodies and Associate Members. The term of service is three years, starting in April 2012 and renewable once. Deadline for submission of nominations is Friday, 16 December 2011. Read more ... Consultations with the ICSU community Foresight Report Oct 11, 2011 Request for input to the ICSU foresight “Success Scenario” from National and Union Members, Associates, Interdisciplinary Bodies and Regional Offices. Deadline for receipt of comments is 16 December 2011. Read more ... Events diary 11-13 January 2012 Matemáticos en la Educación Matemática Escolar: En la búsqueda de impacto en nuestra realidad educacional Santiago de Chile, Chile Workshop related to the ICSU ROLAC Scientific Priority Area Mathematics Education Read more ... 26-29 March 2012 Planet under Pressure conference London, UK A major international science conference focusing on solutions to the challenge of global sustainability Read more ... 14-22 July 2012 39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly & Associated Events Mysore, India Approximately 100 meetings covering the fields of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Scientific Commissions (SC) and Panels. Read more ... 22-26 July 2012 International Congress of Psychology Cape Town, South Africa Quadrennial scientific meeting under the auspices of the International Union of Psychological Science. Read more ... 25 August - 1 September 2012 The XXII Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Melbourne, Australia ISPRS is devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of knowledge, research, development, education and training in the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences, their integration and applications, to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the environment. Read more ... 5-12 August 2014 23rd International Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography Montreal, Canada Triennial IUCr Congress Read more ... Vacancies at ICSU Vacancy: Assistant Science Officer Nov 22, 2011 The International Council for Science (ICSU) is seeking an Assistant Science Officer for an 18-month period, starting in January 2012. Read more ... Vacancy: Programme Specialist Nov 22, 2011 The ICSU Regional Office for Africa invites suitable applicants for the position of Programme Specialist in Biological Sciences. Read more ... Vacancy: Corporate Science Communications Officer Nov 10, 2011 Permanent position: the International Council for Science (ICSU) is recruiting an experienced Corporate Science Communications Officer, who would be able to take up office in Paris early in 2012. Read more ...