As the 17th TWAS General Conference came to a close in Rio de Janeiro on 2 October 2025, the hundreds of scientists who had assembled there came together around a stirring consensus: We all must work together to innovate if we are to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
Organized in partnership with the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the conference convened more than 300 scientists and leaders from over 60 countries under the theme “Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation for Global Development.” It showcased a community committed not only to scientific excellence, but to solidarity across disciplines, borders, and generations. The conference reflected on the unprecedented challenges facing science and humanity, and I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all who contributed through their participation, chairing and facilitating sessions, the TWAS Secretariat and the BAS for their warm hospitality. A special thanks goes to our TWAS regional partners, IAP, OWSD, and TYAN for their presence and ongoing support.
The highlight of the event was the insightful and inspiring opening remarks by his excellency President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. "Science is indispensable not only for economic progress but also for human dignity, for democracy, and for the sustainability of our planet," he said, stressing that “[o]nly by combining talent and solidarity — and above all, by valuing the voices of the global South — can we build a more just, sustainable, and multipolar world."
Another highlight was the formal presentation of the 2025 TWAS Apex Award to Prof. Luiz Davidovich. Marking the 20th anniversary of one of TWAS’s most prestigious honours, the award this year recognized outstanding contributions to quantum science and technology. Davidovich’s TWAS Medal Lecture, part of the official programme of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, traced a century of breakthroughs and underscored the importance of ensuring that the benefits of quantum innovation reach all countries.
The Conference also marked TWAS’s 40th Anniversary with tributes to Founder Abdus Salam and former Presidents José I. Vargas and Jacob Palis, and the release of a new publication, “TWAS in the New Millennium: Building scientific capacity in a time of promise and peril.”
Many shared moments from this event will remain in our minds and hearts. Among them, the induction ceremony for all of the TWAS Fellows from 2023 to 2025, the presentations and announcements of awards and certificates, and many sessions, including the keynote by Karin Herrera, Vice-President of Guatemala and the flash talks organized by TYAN.
As the celebrations come to a close, it is a reminder that TWAS’s history is not only a record of achievements, but a strong foundation for the next decade.
In this newsletter, you will find many more stories that elaborate on our events, the researchers we supported, and the achievements of our Fellows. But in an era where science shapes our future and prosperity of our nations, scientific innovation and discovery stories in the global South often go untold. Science communication can help bridge this gap, and we are co-organizing a new photography award that is part of this effort. This year, TWAS and the Conrado Wessel Foundation launched the international photography award “Through Southern Lenses: Science in Focus.” Photographers from the global South can use this platform to explore developing world science through the powerful medium of photography.
Our challenges are shared, so the solutions must be collaborative. As we look ahead, I look forward to innovating together with everyone; our Fellows, our Young Affiliates, and everyone who takes an interest in the mission of TWAS. And with the community we saw in Rio, we have every reason to be hopeful about the future we can build together, and realise the vision of Prof. Abdus Salam on the use of science for all nations to prosper.
As we reach the end of an unprecedentedly challenging year, I thank the TWAS Council, TWAS Secretariat, TWAS Fellows actively involved in TWAS Committees and Sub-committees. I wish you all a wonderful festive season and everything of the very best for 2026 as we continue our efforts to use science to benefit all people across the globe for sustainable futures for generations to come!
Quarraisha Abdool Karim, President of TWAS