The InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) is a regional network made up of National

Academy of Sciences An academy of sciences is a type of learned society or academy (as special scientific institution) dedicated to sciences that may or may not be state funded. Some state funded academies are tuned into national or royal (in case of the Unite ...

from the nations in the Americas. It was founded in 2004 as an organization utilizing

science diplomacy Science diplomacy is the use of scientific collaborations among nations to address common problems and to build constructive international partnerships. Science diplomacy is a form of new diplomacy and has become an umbrella term to describe a n ...

to "build

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

and technological capacities and strengthen relationships among the countries of the Americas as a tool for societal development." The creation of the organization was in part inspired by the

InterAcademy Panel The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) is a global network consisting of over 140 national and regional member academies of science, engineering, and medicine. It was founded in 1993 as the InterAcademy Panel (IAP). In 2000, the IAP founded the ''Inte ...

(IAP), to function as a regional network in the manner of the

Network of African Science Academies The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) was formed in December 2001 as an independent forum for African science academies to discuss scientific issues of common concern. Member academies are: * African Academy of Sciences * Cameroon Academ ...

(previously founded with help from the IAP). Support also came from the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

and the

Inter-American Development Bank The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB or IADB) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States of America, and serving as the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribb ...

for the creation of IANAS. The IAP continues to be its principal source of financial support. Current co-chairs are

Juan Asenjo Professor Juan A. Asenjo (born October 7, 1949) is a Chilean chemical engineer who specialises in biotechnology. He currently serves as the director of the Centre for Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Chile and is the Pr ...

, President of the

Chilean Academy of Science Chilean may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Chile, a country in South America * Chilean people * Chilean Spanish * Chilean culture * Chilean cuisine * Chilean Americans See also *List of Chileans This is a list of Chileans who ar ...

and Jeremy McNeil, Foreign Secretary of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

Mission

The purpose of the network is to connect and develop the scientific community and institutions in each country, and thus to contribute to

sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...

and help build research capacity . Its main objectives are: 1. "To help improve national scientific capacities, especially as a tool for societal development. This is to be accomplished by strengthening relationships in science and technology among the countries of the Americas. 2. To assist member Academies in building their internal capacity, by creating a forum for the exchange of information and experience. 3. To promote the creation of new Academies in interested countries of the Americas. 4. To contribute to the scientific decision-making processes in the Americas, "with the goal of promoting prosperity and equity in the hemisphere."

Programs

IANAS organizes its efforts through programs focused on six key issues : Water, Energy, Science Education, Women for Science, Capacity Building, and Food Security. Each program has a leadership team, and carries out its own activities . Generally each program collects experts from different countries to prepare documents for policy makers in the Americas, often in collaboration with organizations such as

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and the IAP The Network also conducts multi-national surveys, for instance to assist in a study investigating the presence of women in national academies.

References

External links

* International scientific organizations International science academies cooperation organizations {{Sci-org-stub