Latest news

ICSU's new World Data System opens new International Progamme Office in Tokyo May 16, 2012

ICSU's new World Data System (WDS) opened its new office in Tokyo on May 9 in an official ceremony in the presence of the Hon. Tatsuo Kawabata, Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and Prof. Yuan Tseh-Lee, President of the International Council for Science (ICSU).

Vacancy: Project Coordinator May 15, 2012

The International Council for Science (ICSU) is seeking a Project Coordinator for an initial 18-month period, starting in July 2012.

Government of Malaysia and ICSU sign five-year agreement to host ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific May 03, 2012

The signing of the supplementary agreement between ICSU and the Government of Malaysia took place in Kuala Lumpur on Friday 27 April 2012.

ICSU President Yuan Tseh Lee opens International Polar Year Conference May 03, 2012

ICSU President Yuan Tseh Lee was present at the opening ceremony of International Polar Year conference in Montreal on 23 April , 2012. In his speech, he celebrated IPY as a triumph of global science, in that coordination was first led by ICSU and the WMO, and subsequently the global science community took hold and assumed ownership of IPY.

23rd International CODATA Conference - Call for abstracts, sessions and nominations Apr 26, 2012

On 28-31 October 2012, the 23rd International CODATA Conference “Open Data and Information for a Changing Planet” takes place in Taipei at the Academy of Sciences. This three day International event will bring scientists and policy makers from all over the world to discuss scientific data issues and challenges which impact on our planet and our society.

How to Describe Nanomaterials – an ICSU workshop in Paris Apr 17, 2012

In response to requests from several groups involved in preparing standards for nanotechnology, the International Council for Science and CODATA, the ICSU Committee on Data For Science and Technology, organized a workshop on 23-24 February 2012 to consider standards for describing materials on the nanoscale. A total of 51 international experts attended, including representatives of ten international unions, ISO Technical Committee 229 on Nanotechnology, industry, government and academia, national standards development organizations and the OECD.

Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to meet in Panama Apr 13, 2012

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is a new international platform for scientists and policy makers. It is to some extent modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and will have a similar integrated science assessment function. ICSU and its programmes for biodiversity (DIVERSITAS) and the human dimensions of environmental change (IHDP) have been strong advocates for IPBES.

ICSU Foresight Analysis peer-reviewed Apr 11, 2012

A paper has been published in Science and Public Policy describing ICSU's latest foresight analysis exercise, which looks ahead to 2031 and focuses on the role of science in society's response to emerging global challenges.

Future Earth: New global platform for sustainability research presented at Planet Under Pressure Mar 27, 2012

The new 10-year initiative unifying and scaling up existing ICSU-sponsored global environmental change activities, will deliver solution oriented research in partnership with society.

Final four Rio+20 policy briefs released Mar 19, 2012

The final four Rio+20 policy briefs have been released by the Global Environmental Change (GEC) Research Community covering the following topics: energy security, health, well-being and green economy.

Workshop on the Description of Nanomaterials Feb 16, 2012

The International Council for Science (ICSU), and CODATA, the ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology, are sponsoring a two-day round-table workshop on 23 and 24 February 2012 designed to bring together international scientific experts from diverse fields to review the present status of description systems for nanomaterials and to bring the views of the scientific community to the attention of groups actively engaged in developing standardized nanomaterials descriptions.

ICSU on Twitter and Facebook Feb 14, 2012

ICSU is now active on Twitter and Facebook. We're looking forward to connect with you on these platforms.

ICSU’s new Executive Director appointed Jan 06, 2012

The International Council for Science welcomes Dr. Steven Wilson as Executive Director. Dr. Wilson will provide important leadership as ICSU seeks to implement its newly approved second Strategic Plan 2012–2017.

Advisory Note on access to shared data to reduce global inequality Feb 15, 2012

A recent Advisory Note of the ICSU Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct of Science (CFRS) aims to help scientists in developing countries contribute effectively to scientific progress and reduce the brain drain of scientists from developing to developed countries.

Position statement on Gene Patenting Feb 07, 2012

The ICSU position on Gene Patenting has been up-dated in the light of scientific and legal developments.

Report now available: ICSU-UNESCO Regional Science and Technology workshops Jan 27, 2012

The synthesis report from the ICSU-UNESCO Rio+20 Regional Science and Technology workshops is now available, giving overarching and regional recommendations for Rio+20.

World Data System names its new Executive Director Jan 19, 2012

Mustapha Mokrane has been appointed as Executive Director of WDS and Head of its newly established International Programme Office.

Towards a framework for Future Earth Jan 17, 2012

The second meeting of the Transition Team, the committee designing ‘Future Earth – research for global sustainability’, was held on 9-11 December 2011 in San Francisco. As outlined in the meeting summary, further progress was achieved in defining a conceptual framework, a research strategy and a governance for Future Earth.

“Future Earth” is born Dec 13, 2011

“Future Earth – research for global sustainability” will be the name of the new ten-year initiative on Earth system research for global sustainability being established through the partnership of ICSU, ISSC, the Belmont Forum, UNESCO, UNEP and UNU, with WMO as observer.