AAAS-TWAS 2025 Course on Science Diplomacy

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington DC, USA, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy, are seeking candidates to participate in the annual summer course on science diplomacy to be held on 21- 24 July 2025 in person in Trieste, Italy.

The AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy training program was established in 2014 to expose scientists, decisionmakers, diplomats and other interested stakeholders and institutions to science diplomacy concepts, explore key contemporary international policy issues relating to science, technology, environment and health, and build a skillset to allow for careers at the intersection of science and diplomacy. 

• Table of Content
• About The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
• AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy
• Aim and Benefits of AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy
• Requirements for AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They shared a belief that developing nations, by building strength in science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. From the start, the Academy had essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders. The Third World Academy of Sciences, as it was first known, was inaugurated officially in 1985 during a ceremony attended by UN Secretary-... continue reading

AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy

Aim and Benefits of AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy

Organizers will cover the expenses of selected peers, including transportation, accommodation, visa processing fees, meals and incidentals.

Additionally, there will be opportunities for a small number of self-supported participant peers (including from high-income countries) to attend the course if selected. Those participants will be responsible for paying their costs in connection with their attendance at the course, except for meals and transportation within Trieste, which is offered by organizers.

Requirements for AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy Qualification

The 'participant peer' will include:

1. Participant 1 : an  Early-Career Scientist (ECS)  who should be preferably 40 years or below, must have earned a PhD degree and whose research and wider engagement has international policymaking implications or applications, and
2. Participant 2 : a  Decisionmaker (DM)  from the policymaking arena, working on science, technology, and innovation-related matters.  There is no age limit for the co-applicant decisionmaker nor the requirement of a PhD degree . On the other hand, this person should belong to one of the following policy-related categories:- A local or national government official;
   – A policymaker;
   – A diplomat;
   – Civil servant;
   – A representative of a research funding institution;
   – Staff or expert working for an international (eg UN) organization.

Interview date, Process and Venue for AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy

• Applications must be submitted online via the TWAS web portal and are not accepted by email submission.

• Important : There is one single online application form for the participant pair. To apply the participant pair must use the 'apply now' button at the bottom of this webpage to start the application.

The online application is divided in two parts:
 a) The first is for Participant 1 (the Early-Career Scientist – ECS).

b) The second part is for Participant 2 (the Co-Applicant Decisionmaker – DM), from the policymaking arena as indicated above.

Important: The Early-Career Scientist (ECS) is responsible for filling out both parts of the application and submitting the completed document on behalf of the participant pair.

The workshop will take place as follows:

• 21 July (Monday): welcome dinner
• 22-24 July (Tuesday – Thursday): workshop
• 25 July: participants return to their home countries

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit TWAS fellowship website.