The Islamic Academy of Sciences (IAS) is a non-profit organisation of distinguished scientists and technologists dedicated to the promotion of science and technology in the Muslim world.
Sound scientific knowledge is fundamental to addressing critical issues such as economic transformation and globalization, reduction of poverty, hunger, disease, and the sustainable use of natural resources – facing the world today. National, regional and international science academies can marshal the world's best scientists to provide expert knowledge and advice to international bodies, such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations, which are charged with addressing these issues. They can, more importantly, also engage decision-makers at the national level.
In response to the need for an international organisation that can play such a role and cater for the needs of the Islamic scientific community, the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) came into being in 1986.
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The establishment of the Islamic world Academy of Sciences IAS was initially proposed by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (COMSTECH), and approved by the Fourth Islamic Summit held in Casablanca in 1984.
Upon the invitation of Jordan, the Founding Conference of the Academy was held in Amman (Jordan) in October 1986, under the patronage of HRH Prince Al-Hassan, who accepted the patronage of the Academy together with HE the President of Pakistan. Operating from its Amman Secretariat, the Academy hopes to continue the work it had started in 1986, namely assisting the decision-makers and scientists and technologists of the Ummah and helping them achieve an advanced level of development for their countries.
The stated mission of IAS is to "provide an institutional set up for the utilisation of Science and Technology for the development of Islamic countries and humanity at large".[1]
The primary vision of IAS is to "increase interaction among scientists and facilitate the exchange of views on development issues, and to function as the Islamic Brain Trust helping the Islamic and Developing Worlds in scientific and technology fields".[2]
IAS's objectives are as stated below[3]:
The structure of the IAS consists of a General Assembly, Council, Secretariat and Standing Committees.
The Academy itself is governed by the General Assembly i which all founding and elected persons are members. In January 2001, there were 88 elected persons representing 30 Muslim-majority countries, from across a diverse range of scientific disciplines. These persons are widely eminent figures and are considered in one way or another to have made a large and important contribution to the development of their own ome countries' and to the Muslim world in general. Since its establishment in 1986, the General Assembly has convened annually and the major issues discussed at each of these gatherings are the planning and accomplishing of future Academy activities.
The council is responsible for the management and direction of the Academy and consists of eleven executive members which are elected by the General Assembly for a four year term of office, and which is subject to its regulation and supervision.
Based in Amman, the capital of Jordan, the academy secretiat is the executive arm of the IAS and its primary function is to maintain the institutional establishment of the IAS and implement its plan of action within the guidelines set by the Council and General Assembly. The secretiat receives an annual maintenance grant and is provided with the diplomatic immunities by the Jordanian government.
The task of implementing the Academy's programme, as well as being the responsibility of the General Assembly, Council and Secretariat, is also that of the five Academy Standing Committees, which were intended to be instruments to generate programmes for the academy when it was founded. The Academy currently has the following Standing Committees:
Since its establishment in 1986, the IAS has been implementing programmes that address serious contemporary issues facing the Muslim World with the primary aim of devising solutions and policies that Islamic and developing countries can adopt in order to accomplish their development goals. On an annual basis, the Academy has organized several international conferences, published a series of conference proceedings, newsletters and various works of publicity literature, and distributed a quality journal of international standard, called Journal of the Islamic Academy of Sciences (which was later relaunched as Journal of the Islamic Academy of Sciences, a specialized medical version of the former magazine).
Furthermore, the Academy is reported to have built numerous contacts with a number of Islamic governments worldwide, as well as several national and international non-governmental organizations. The fundamental objective of the IAS's programme is "to establish a framework for the development of science and technology in the Islamic World".[4] By the facilitation of interaction among scientists, and the promotion of the exchange of views and ideas on science and technology issues in particular is hoped to catalyse the overall process of socio-economic development in Islamic countries.
The programme also aims to "highlight the correlation between knowledge, science and technology on on the one hand, and Islamic Values on the other".[4] Through research in this field, the programme is intended to help rejuvenate the establishment of an improved environment for scientific research for the benefit of the Muslim World, in particular the developing and third world nations.
A complete list of current IAS Fellows (FIAS) is available at http://www.ias-worldwide.org/fellows.html.
IBRAHIM Award Lauraetes of IAS are as follows:
http://www.ias-worldwide.org/ibrahim.html
| Year | Conference | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Food Security in the Muslim World | Amman, Jordan |
| 1988 | Science and Technology Policies for Self-Reliance in the Muslim World | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| 1989 | New Technologies and the Development of the Muslim World | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 1990 | Technology Transfer for Development in the Muslim World | Antalya, Turkey |
| 1988 | Science and Technology Manpower for Development in the Islamic World | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| 1989 | New Technologies and the Development of the Muslim World | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 1990 | Technology Transfer for Development in the Muslim World | Antalya, Turkey |
| 1991 | Science and Technology Manpower for Development in the Islamic World | Amman, Jordan |
| 1992 | Environment and Development in the Islamic World | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 1993 | Health, Nutrition and Development in the Islamic World | Dakar, Senegal |
| 1994 | Water in the Islamic World: An Imminent Crisis | Khartoum, Sudan |
| 1995 | Science and Technology Education for Development in the Islamic World | Tehran, Iran |
| 1996 | Environment and Development in the Islamic World | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 2000 | Information Technology for Development in the Islamic World | Tunis, Tunisia |
| 2001 | Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering for Development in the Islamic World | Rabat, Morocco |
| 2002 | Materials Science and Technology and Culture of Science | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| 2003 | Energy for Sustainable Development and Science for the Future of the Islamic World and Humanity | Kuching/Sarawak, Malaysia |
| 2005 | Science, Technology and Innovation for Socio-economic Development of OIC-Member Countries: Towards Vision 1441 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 2006 | Higher Education Excellence for Development in the Islamic World | Ankara, Turkey |
| 2008 | Science and Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development in the Islamic World: Policies and Politics Rapprochement | Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian Federation |
| 2009 | Towards the Knowledge Society in the Islamic World: Knowledge Production, Application and Dissemination | Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia |