by EH
In a bid to bolster the next generation of climate scientists hailing from the world’s developing regions, the World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries (TWAS) is convening a landmark workshop in Trieste from May 14th to 16th.
This gathering will unite 47 climate scientists from 36 developing nations alongside 15 experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for a transformative training experience.
The IPCC, operating under the United Nations umbrella, serves as a vital conduit, furnishing governments with crucial scientific insights to underpin climate policy formulations. In tandem, TWAS, headquartered in Trieste, has long championed scientific progress in the developing world.
Under the banner of “Joint Climate Science Network, Mentorship, and Capacity Growth,” this workshop seeks to furnish scientists from climate-vulnerable nations with the tools to amplify their voices on the international stage, thereby reshaping global priorities and mitigating the impact of climate change on their homelands.
Generously funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the workshop aims to bridge the gap between scientific expertise and policy implementation, ensuring that voices from the global South are heard loud and clear in the climate change discourse.
President of TWAS, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, expressed the workshop’s broader ambition: “We want to cultivate a cohesive and dynamic scientific community in the global South, capable of making meaningful contributions to the IPCC’s mission.”
Jan Fuglestvedt, Research Director at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO) and IPCC Vice-Chair, underscored the workshop’s pivotal role in fostering inclusivity: “This initiative is crucial in addressing the underrepresentation of experts from marginalized nations in the IPCC process.”
The workshop, slated to take place at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, will kick off on May 14th, delving into the findings of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report and charting the course for the upcoming seventh assessment cycle.
Notably, the workshop will also host 12 doctoral students, recipients of TWAS-Sida fellowships for climate research, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). This initiative aims to nurture a new cadre of climate champions, adept at bridging the gap between science and policy.
In addition to the substantive discussions, participants will be introduced to ClimateNet, a TWAS-supported networking platform facilitating peer support and mentorship among climate scientists from developing nations.
For four decades, TWAS has been at the vanguard of scientific capacity-building in the global South. Founded in 1983, the Academy has spearheaded efforts to promote sustainable prosperity through research, education, and diplomatic engagement.
With its unwavering commitment to fostering scientific excellence across borders, TWAS continues to be a beacon of hope for aspiring scientists from the world’s developing regions.
