Crystallography matters ... more!

TWAS, the world academy of sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries, announces its 24th General Conference, to be held in Buenos Aires (Argentina) from 1 to 4 October 2013.

Professor Gautam Desiraju (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore), President of the IUCr, will give an invited lecture entitled "Doing science in the developing world: The International Year of Crystallography as facilitator"

TWAS is an autonomous international organization founded in 1983 in Trieste, Italy, by a distinguished group of scientists from the South led by the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. It was officially launched as the "Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)" by the secretary-general of the United Nations in 1985. At the Academy's 23rd General Meeting in 2012, members changed the name to "The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries". TWAS represents the best of science in developing countries. Its main mission is to promote scientific excellence and capacity in the South for science-based sustainable development. The Academy strives to:

• recognize, support and promote excellence in scientific research in the developing world;

• respond to the needs of young scientists in developing countries lagging in science and technology;

• promote South-South and South-North cooperation in science, technology and innovation;

• encourage scientific research and sharing of experiences in solving major challenges facing

developing countries.