MAST has established cooperation agreements with various international Academies and is a member of the InterAcademy Partnership, the International Science Council, and the Network of African Science Academies. A brief on the three organizations is given below.
About the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP)
Under the umbrella of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), more than 140 national, regional, and global member academies work together to support the vital role of science in seeking evidence-based solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. In particular, IAP harnesses the expertise of the world's scientific, medical, and engineering leaders to advance sound policies, improve public health, promote excellence in science education, and achieve other critical development goals. IAP academy members constitute more than 30,000 leading scientists, engineers, and health professionals in over 100 countries. A central focus of IAP's mission is to reach out to society and participate in discussions on critical global issues in which science plays a crucial role, and since its inception in 1993, IAP has been producing statements on issues of fundamental importance to humanity. These statements – which are released only once they have been endorsed by the majority of IAP members – are not only a reflection of the major issues that confront society but are also evidence of IAP's ongoing commitment to society. More information about IAP can be found at www.interacademies.org, on Twitter at @IAPartnership, on LinkedIn, and on YouTube.
About the Network of African Science Academies
NASAC is a consortium of merit-based science academies in Africa and aspires to make the “voice of science” heard by policymakers and decision-makers within Africa and worldwide. NASAC is dedicated to enhancing the capacity of existing national science academies and champions the cause for the creation of new academies where none exist.
Through its membership, NASAC facilitates the discussion of scientific aspects of challenges of common concern, makes statements on major issues, and provides mutual support to the academies. Drawing from this, NASAC specifically aims to provide credible science advice to governments and regional organizations on pertinent issues to Africa’s development. NASAC’s networking capacity serves as an effective resource for communicating appropriate thematic information, as well as coordinating efforts among different sectors and stakeholders in academia, policy, and society.
NASAC aspires to be the voice of science and is the affiliate network for Inter Academy Partnership in Africa. More information on NASAC can be found at https://nasaconline.org/
About the International Science Council
The International Science Council (ISC) works at the global level to catalyze and convene scientific expertise, advice, and influence on issues of major concern to both science and society.
The ISC has a growing global membership that brings together over 230 organizations, including international scientific unions and associations from natural and social sciences, and the humanities, and national and regional scientific organizations such as academies and research councils.
The ISC was created in 2018 as the result of a merger between the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC).
The vision of the ISC is to advance science as a global public good. Scientific knowledge, data, and expertise must be universally accessible and its benefits universally shared. The practice of science must be inclusive and equitable, as well as opportunities for scientific education and capacity development.
The mission of the ISC is to act as the global voice for science. As part of that mission, the ISC:
- Speaks for the value of all science and the need for evidence-informed understanding and decision-making
- Stimulates and supports international scientific research and scholarship on major issues of global concern
- Articulates scientific knowledge on such issues in the public domain
- Promotes the continued and equal advancement of scientific rigour, creativity, and relevance in all parts of the world
- Defends the free and responsible practice of science
More information about ISC can be found at https://council.science.