Australia represented at international science gathering in China

Academy Fellows and secretariat staff represented Australia at the Beijing Science Dialogue and International Science Council (ISC) Midterm Meeting last week in Beijing, China. 

Hosted by the International Science Council and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in Beijing, the meeting convened more than 1,000 delegates from all world regions and domains of science. Discussions centred on international scientific collaboration under the headline theme of ‘Science in a complex world – Science for a better future’. 

Ronit Prawer, Head of International Affairs at the Australian Academy of Science, represented the secretariat. Academy Fellows in attendance included Professor Frances Separovic AO FAA, Professor Mary Garson AM FAA, Professor Brian Schmidt AC FAA FTSE FRS Nobel Laureate, and Professor Nalini Joshi AO FAA, who is an ISC board member. The delegation, representing various Australian scientific unions, advanced Australian and regional science priorities. 

While in Beijing, the Academy delegation strengthened relationships with the Australian Embassy in Beijing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Australians also joined an ISC delegation that visited Chinese government officials.

Australians elected as ISC Fellows

Four Australians were recognised as Fellows of the ISC, including two Academy Fellows, Professor Frances Separovic and Professor Hugh Possingham FAA FRS. Along with the Hon Adjunct Professor Robert French AC and Professor Iain Hay, they joined the ranks of outstanding leaders bridging science, policy and society on the world stage. Two Academy Corresponding Members, Professor Vince Poor FAA FRS and Professor Ajay Sood FAA FRS, were also elected as ISC Fellows.

The Academy's regional leadership role was on full display at the ISC Midterm Members' Meeting. The ISC Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific (RFP-AP), which is hosted by the Academy, addressed the assembled delegates in the plenary, and discussed Australia's work in the region. 

The RFP-AP also held its annual in-person Advisory Council meeting during the ISC Members meeting. The Academy’s Foreign Secretary, Professor Steven Chown FAA, assumed his role as Co-Chair of the Advisory Council. Outgoing members Professor Pal Ahluwalia (Australia, Fiji) and Professor Yukio Himiyama (Japan) were farewelled and new members – Professor Caroline McMillen AO FAHMS from Australia, and Professor Nadira Karunaweera from Sri Lanka – were welcomed. 

Other notable updates from the ISC Meeting included: 

• Professor Robbert Dijkgraaf assuming office as the President, succeeding Professor Sir Peter Gluckman
• publication of a new science diplomacy report, titled At the forefront of science diplomacy: The role of non-governmental scientific organisations
• the launch of the Regional Focal Point for Central Asia and Transcaucasia, which took place immediately after the Members meeting, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

For more details on the Beijing Science Dialogue and ISC Midterm Members meeting, visit the ISC website.