World Science Forum at the UN
László Lovász, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, co-chair of the event in 2017, jointly presented this year’s programme of the World Science Forum (WSF) at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. The event is a science diplomacy summit where some of the world’s most renowned scientists from the Academy and across the globe have a chance to come together. The conference was held in the presence of UN representatives and was opened by Katalin Bogyay, Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the UN.
30 April, 2017
Following the previous World Science Forum held in Budapest two years ago, this autumn, top scientists and science policy decision makers will gather in Jordan. The summit which is a joint venture by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the World's most influential scientific organizations will be hosted by The Royal Scientific Society of Jordan and will kick off in November, 2017.
The WSF is the only scientific forum in the world where the representatives of science can engage in dialogue with society at large and policy makers within an institutionalized framework, relying on a complex set of criteria. This biennial event is a unique opportunity for participants to discuss the role of science in various fields as well as to deliberate on what new conclusions in research will mean in an economical and cultural context.
This year’s programme will be built around the motto “Science for Peace” while the location of the Forum itself will be on the coast of the Dead Sea. The organisers chose the above motto to articulate the fundamental role of science as well as to emphasize the responsibility of decision makers to peacefully resolve crucial social, economical and environmental conflicts worldwide.
The Jordanian location of this year’s Forum further supports the commitment made by the Middle Eastern country to resolve political disputes peacefully in the region and furthermore demonstrates Jordan’s commitment in supporting science.
Co-chairs Mr. Lovász and Princess Sumaya gave a short summary of the history of the WSF and also presented the programme for this year. Vaughan Turekian, Science and Technology Advisor to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also delivered a lecture, as well as the Director of the Outreach Division of the UN, Maher Nasser followed by the Hungarian, Jordanian, Brazilian and Japanese UN ambassadors. President of the 71st General Assembly of the UN, Peter Thomson who will be one of the key lecturers at the November Forum was represented by his Chief of Staff.
The World Science Forum was founded by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and seven international partner institutions. These institutions are the following: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the IAP - InterAcademy Partnership (this organisation represents scientific academies from across the globe) and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC).