The International Science Council, formed from the merger of two organizations representing the natural and social sciences, held its inaugural General Assembly in Paris on July 4. In a historic meeting hosted by the French Académie des Sciences, the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC) merged to form the International Science Council (ISC), a unique global non-governmental organization representative of both the natural and social sciences.
IASC is an affiliate member for the ISC, meaning IASC can contribute to discussion around ISC priorities, contribute to affiliated activities, and network with other ISC members. For example, IASC contributed towards discussion around testbed topics in the ISC High Level Draft Strategy include topics of relevance to IASC including Indigenous and local knowledge systems, science education, and collaborative research in the 21st century; these testbeds will be amended and promulgated in due course.
ISC’s mission is to be the global voice for science, and ISC’s vision is science as a global public good; IASC’s priorities align with this purpose and goal. As in ISC member (with an all-too-close acronym), IASC, our members, and our partners can team up with the global science community to advance and facilitate international and interdisciplinary cooperation, excellence, and impact throughout the Arctic research community.
The 2nd General Assembly of the ISC will be held in Muscat, Oman in autumn 2021.