The 17th TWAS General Conference took place at the Windsor Barra Convention Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 29 September to 2 October 2025. Organized in partnership by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and TWAS, the event focused on the theme: 'Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation for Global Development.'
FInd the programme for the Conference here, the list of participants here, and the videos of the sessions (upload in progress) here.
The conference explored how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the global South. It addressed both the challenges and opportunities in leveraging STI for sustainable development, while highlighting scientific excellence in the developing world and strengthening global collaboration—especially across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The conference represented an opportunity for scientists from the global South across many stages of their careers to contribute to global development through STI. TWAS General Conferences are renowned for showcasing scientific excellence in the developing world. They convene a diverse range of participants—from TWAS Fellows, Young Affiliates and prize winners to government science ministers and presidents of universities and science academies. The conference featured panels of high-level experts, talks on science and sustainable development, and ceremonies presenting science awards and welcoming new TWAS Fellows into the Academy.
Here you can access:
- the 2023 TWAS Fellows Booklet;
- the 2024 TWAS Fellows Booklet;
- the 2025 TWAS Fellows Booklet;
- the 2022–2027 TWAS Young Affiliates Booklet;
- the 2023–2028 TWAS Young Affiliates Booklet;
- the 2024–2029 TWAS Young Affiliates Booklet; and
the 17th TWAS General Conference Awards Digital Booklet.
The event was supported by:
- The Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) of Brazil
- The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) of Brazil
- The Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), of the Ministry of Education (MEC) of Brazil
Additionally, the event included the 32nd TWAS General Meeting, a closed-door session where TWAS Fellows and Young Affiliates will discuss Academy matters.
The conference programme is available in the download section of this page. As the event is paperless, we kindly encourage participants to download any materials they may need in advance. For more information, please contact [email protected].