Latin American Academy of Sciences

Latin American Academy of Sciences
Name	Latin American Academy of Sciences
Formation	1976
Type	Scholarly academy
Headquarters	Bogotá, Colombia
Region served	Latin America and the Caribbean
Leader title	President

Latin American Academy of Sciences The Latin American Academy of Sciences is a regional learned society convening prominent researchers from across Latin America and the Caribbean. It links scientists, policymakers, and institutions to advance research in natural sciences, social sciences, and applied technology through networks involving universities, research centers, and international organizations. Founded in the 1970s, the Academy engages with national academies, global philanthropies, and multilateral agencies to influence science policy and capacity building.

History

The Academy was founded in Bogotá amid debates involving figures associated with Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad de São Paulo, Universidad de la República (Uruguay), and Universidad Veracruzana; its early meetings attracted delegates from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, Haiti, and Dominican Republic. Key personalities included academicians who had ties to National Autonomous University of Mexico, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, University of São Paulo (USP), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid collaborations, and partnerships with international actors such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and United Nations Development Programme. Over decades the Academy responded to regional crises—such as the 1973 Chilean coup d'état fallout in academic networks, the 1982 Latin American debt crisis, and the public health challenges of HIV/AIDS pandemic—by convening expert panels and creating research consortia with institutions like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pan American Health Organization.

Mission and Objectives

The Academy's mission emphasizes promotion of scientific excellence, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among institutions like Max Planck Society, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Royal Society, Academia Brasileira de Ciências, National Academy of Sciences (United States), and Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Objectives include advising authorities such as ministries connected to Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colombia), engaging with regional blocs like Mercosur, Pacific Alliance, and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and strengthening ties to philanthropic foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation. The Academy also seeks to support early-career researchers associated with Instituto Nacional de Salud (Peru), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (Mexico), and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

Membership and Fellowship

Membership comprises elected fellows drawn from universities, national laboratories, and scientific societies such as Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Mexican Academy of Sciences, Argentine National Academy of Sciences, Cuban Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and representatives from research institutes including Instituto Butantan, Fiocruz, National Institute of Ecology (Mexico), Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas (Cuba), Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile. Fellows have included laureates affiliated with awards like the Nobel Prize, Right Livelihood Award, Wolf Prize, Lasker Award, Crafoord Prize, Prince of Asturias Awards, and recipients of grants from organizations such as European Research Council and National Science Foundation (United States). Election criteria mirror procedures used by Royal Society, Académie des Sciences, and German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, with nominations, peer review, and plenary voting drawn from regional academies such as Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.

Governance and Structure

The Academy’s governance features an elected Executive Council, standing committees, and secretariat modeled on structures of International Council for Science, InterAcademy Partnership, and Global Young Academy. Regional nodes coordinate with national academies including Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, Academia Nacional de Ciéncias (Argentina), and international partners like United Nations University, World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization. Committees address thematic areas reflecting institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, and Servicio Geológico Colombiano, overseeing finance, ethics, capacity building, and awards.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include fellowships for postdoctoral scholars partnered with University of São Paulo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and exchange programs with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and École Normale Supérieure. Initiatives have tackled issues aligned with agencies like World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, UNICEF, UNEP, and WHO, launching projects on biodiversity with Conservation International and World Wildlife Fund, public health collaborations with Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), and climate research with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change partners. Capacity-building efforts reference models from African Academy of Sciences and Asian Scientist Magazine collaborations.

Publications and Conferences

The Academy publishes policy briefs, technical reports, and proceedings with distribution partners like Springer Nature, Elsevier, PLOS, and Science Advances, and organizes biennial meetings attracting speakers from Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Imperial College London, École Polytechnique, University of Toronto, McGill University, and regional hubs. Conferences address themes reflected in symposia organized by The Lancet, Nature Portfolio, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and collaborate on special issues with journals such as Revista Brasileira de Biociências, Revista de Saúde Pública (Sao Paulo), and Anales de la Academia de Ciencias de Cuba.

Impact and Criticism

The Academy has influenced policy decisions in ministries and supranational bodies including Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Organization of American States, and bilateral initiatives with United States Agency for International Development and European Union. Impact examples cite partnerships with National Institutes of Health (United States), Wellcome Trust, and regional health institutes that informed responses to outbreaks like Zika virus epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. Criticisms have included concerns raised by scholars linked to Movimento Passe Livre-style civic movements, debate over elite capture similar to critiques of Foro de São Paulo and calls for greater transparency echoing controversies involving institutions like Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala and international funding scrutiny paralleling debates around Mont Pelerin Society-style influence. Calls for reform reference governance reviews modeled on InterAcademy Partnership recommendations and comparative analyses with National Academy of Sciences (United States).

Category:Scientific societies Category:Organizations established in 1976