 | A forum for ideas, a catalyst for change. |
Dear Fellows,
The pace of global change continues to accelerate, confronting humanity with unprecedented challenges鈥攁nd equally unprecedented opportunities. In recent months, our Academy has continued to advance important conversations on planetary well-being, water security, human security, and the ethical implications of rapidly evolving technologies. These initiatives reflect the enduring purpose of WAAS: to bring together diverse knowledge and perspectives in pursuit of practical solutions for humanity.
As we now prepare to mark the 66th year of our organization 鈥� WAAS@66 鈥� I warmly encourage every Fellow to become an active participant in this year鈥檚 anniversary conference. The theme for the conference is “Global Social Turbulence: Sources and Solutions.” More than a milestone to mark six decades of achievement, this gathering is an opportunity to shape the ideas, collaborations, and actions that will define our contribution to the future. Whether your expertise lies in science, technology, the humanities, governance, economics, education, or the arts, your voice is an essential part of the interdisciplinary dialogue that distinguishes us from other global institutions.
The conference theme鈥攁dvancing peace, prosperity, and freedom鈥攃alls for more than thoughtful discussion. It calls for leadership, intellectual courage, and a willingness to work across disciplines and cultures to identify actionable pathways forward. Together, we can ensure that the Academy remains not only a forum for ideas, but a catalyst for meaningful change in a rapidly transforming world.
I look forward to welcoming you during WAAS@66.
Sincerely,
Garry Jacobs President, WAAS | | An Important Security Notice
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| Event Reportback |
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Ethical Arts on a Planetary Scale: How Can We Achieve Well-being for Everyone?
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On June 6, 2026, the WAAS Planetary Arts project explored practices and ideas that support human well-being through the arts. Participants discussed approaches at the intersection of art, ethics, and sustainable development: from sustainability arts initiatives to body-based practices and philosophical reflection on ethical behavior. Speakers discussed how personal actions can impact a shared future and shared solutions aimed at the harmonious coexistence of people, society, and the planet. |
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| Watch Here |
| Averting Water Bankruptcy: Global Water Supply Risks and Countermeasures |
 | Top left, clockwise: Thomas Reuter, Ana Maria Paraschiv, Vinod Mishra, Erik Solheim, Manfred Stock |
Water security was named a top priority in the UN鈥檚 2030 Agenda, as SDG 6, and the UN University鈥檚 Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in Canada has been tracking the trend towards increasing water insecurity for the past three decades. Their latest flagship report issues a dire warning: Across many regions, water systems are under unprecedented pressure. On June 10, 2026, the WAAS Existential Threats and Risks to All (EXTRA) project hosted four highly experienced sustainability experts and practitioners from around the world, who shared their unique and diverse perspectives on the emerging water crisis and potential countermeasures. |
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| Report: From Global Vision to the Classroom: How Human Security for All Took Root in India |
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The WAAS Human Security for All campaign, which ended its collaboration with the UN Trust Fund for Human Security in 2024, continues to teach hundreds of thousands of young learners in India. HS4A India, chaired by WAAS Fellow Devakanni Subramanian, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the World University Consortium, has translated the concept into meaningful, large-scale educational practice.
Where the HS4A global campaign moved leaders, India moves learners 鈥� and through them, families and entire communities. Numbers released in the most recent HS4A India report, for 2024鈥�25 and 2025鈥�26, show a consistent and broad application of human security to school children.
More than 1.5 million brochures have carried the HS4A message into homes, reaching an estimated 4.5 million readers. Over 100,000 students were engaged, 28,600-plus took part in weekly fluency sessions. The program touched 1,000-plus schools across 17 states, mobilized 6,000 educators, and trained 8,600 parents. | |
| Read the Report Here |
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Save the Date: WAAS@66 | |
The annual conference of the 被窝影视福利 of Art and Science, WAAS@66, will be held online from September 8-11, 2026 with the theme “Global Social Turbulence: Sources and Solutions.” The conference builds on the findings from WAAS@65 and other recent activities organized by WAAS and its network. Its objective is to transform the growing awareness of causes and solutions into practical strategies that can lead to action. The conference will be organized across three civilizational themes 鈥� Peace, Prosperity, and Freedom. It will close with a General Assembly of the members of the Academy.
| The conference sessions will explore the following topics under three themes:
Peace 鈥婽he Architecture of Global Security 鈼� Global Peace Offensive 鈼� Reversing the Retreat from Democracy, Redesigning Multilateralism & Global Rule of Law 鈼� Universal Human Values, Human Security, and New Narratives for Global Cooperation 鈼� Arts, Humanities and Social Evolution
Prosperity
The Economics & Technology of Human Security 鈼� Preparing Global Leadership for the Emerging Future and Changing the Way We Think 鈼� Global Solutions to Raise the World’s Platform 鈥� A World Investment Plan 鈼� Addressing Climate and Ecological Threat Multipliers 鈼� Strategies to Address Job Security and Economic Inequality 鈼� Bridging the Science-Policy Gap 鈼� Management of Global Social Transformations by Mobilising Science & Technology as a Force for Good 鈼� Navigating Existential Risk in an Age of Global Turbulence: Towards Systemic Intelligence and Resilience
Freedom 鈥婰iberating Minds and Restoring Democracy in the Battle for Human Consciousness in the Age of AI 鈼� The Evolution and Democratization of Social Power 鈼� The Near Future of AI – Artificial General Intelligence 鈼� Liberating the Human Mind – Limits to Rationality, New Cognitive Frameworks, and Creative Capabilities of Cognitive and Symbiotic Systems 鈼� Rethinking Education for Human Security – AI in Global Higher Education |
Further details will be shared soon. | |
Upcoming Events | |
JULY 3, 2026 / ONLINE
鈥�Synthetic Societies: Human Vulnerability and Systemic Fragility in a Context of Rising Algorithmic Power
This joint online symposium hosted by the Existential Threats and Risks to All (EXTRA) project in conjunction with the Centre International de Recherches et 脡tudes Transdisciplinaires (CIRET) will examine how synthetic societies produce new forms of systemic fragility. As algorithmic systems increasingly mediate social, political, economic, and cultural life, contemporary societies are becoming 鈥渟ynthetic鈥� environments: infrastructures of automated decision-making, predictive analytics, generative AI, and platform governance that shape human behavior while remaining largely opaque to those they govern. An expert panel, moderated by EXTRA chair and WAAS Trustee Thomas Reuter with a welcome address by WAAS President Garry Jacobs, will examine the growing tension between technological capability and human vulnerability in a context where algorithmic power is rapidly consolidating across institutions, markets, and everyday life. Register Here 鉃�
AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 / GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN
21st Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES)
Aleksander Zidan拧ek, WAAS Vice-President (Science & Technology) in cooperation with WAAS and the Club of Rome National Associations for Slovenia and Croatia, is organizing a special session titled “Sustainability science and technology for human security.” The SDEWES Conferences are organized by WAAS Fellow Neven Dui膰 and are dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from the use of natural resources and the transition to a knowledge-based economy. Learn more 鉃�
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View the latest edition of the Existential Threats and Risks to All (EXTRA) newsletter To subscribe to this newsletter sign up on the EXTRA home page. |
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| WAAS DIGEST |
| Books/Articles/Videos by Members |
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鈥� Gerald Gutenschwager 鈥� Jos茅 Cordeiro 鈥� Peter Richie-Calder (1906-1982) 鈥� Rosal铆a Arteaga Serrano 鈥� Carlos Alberto Blanco P茅rez | | Art by Members | | |
| Member Activities |
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JUNE 1-3 2026, POTSDAM
鈥淣arratives of Power: Memory Politics鈥� is a program organized by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and The Center for Cultural Diplomacy Studies, and developed in collaboration with Historians Without Borders. It examines the mechanisms through which historical events are framed in public discourse, how these narratives influence political decision-making and the ways in which memory is mobilized in moments of conflict, transition and societal change. The program brings together historians, policymakers and civil society representatives to analyse current developments in memory politics across Europe and the broader international environment.
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JUNE 10-12, 2026, DENVER
The annual GlobalMindED conference, hosted by WAAS Fellow Carol Carter, was held under the theme “Dimensions of Our Democracy.” The event convenes students and educational experts to create a capable talent pipeline by algorithmically linking students with role models, mentors, networks, and promotion pathway jobs. WAAS Trustee Amanda Ellis was joined by WAAS Fellow Eden Mamut and WAAS General Manager Grant Schreiber on a panel titled “Empowering Leaders Through Safety, Security and Thoughtful Technology.” WAAS Fellow Lawrence Ford spoke on a panel titled “Breakthroughs in Clean Energy, Climate Resilience and Regenerative Solutions.”
JUNE 23, 2026, NEW YORK
On the occasion of 12th International Day of Yoga the Consulate General of India in New York in collaboration with Rajasthan Association of North America, hosted a special meditation session led by Guru Dr. H.R. Nagendra Ji, a revered Yoga master and a globally respected expert in yoga, meditation and holistic well-being. WAAS Fellow Jonathan Granoff delivered a keynote on meditation鈥檚 transformative capacity to nurture both personal well-being and global harmony.
JUNE 24, 2026, K艕SZEG
At the Institute of Advanced Studies Koszeg鈥檚 31st International Summer University a panel co-hosted by Alma Mater Europaea University included Aleksander Zidansek, WAAS Vice President (Science & Technology) and WAAS Fellow Ludvik Toplak. Leading voices discussed how universities can adapt to technology, geopolitics, and societal demands while protecting academic autonomy. The panel explored the future of universities in Europe by questioning traditional academic hierarchies and institutional structures.
鈥� | | Call For Judges |
We are seeking 10 WAAS Fellows to serve as judges for the Human Security category of the CES Innovation Awards. CES is the world鈥檚 largest technology event and a strategic partner of WAAS in advancing the Human Security For All campaign. Judging is conducted entirely online, and each judge will be assigned approximately 20 innovative technology products to evaluate through the lens of human security. Before judging begins, you will receive a comprehensive briefing on the Human Security framework, the evaluation criteria, and the online judging process, ensuring you are fully prepared to participate. You will be listed on the This is a unique opportunity to help shape the recognition of technologies that have the greatest potential to enhance human well-being and security while representing WAAS at one of the world鈥檚 most influential innovation platforms.
Please email WAAS General Manager Grant Schreiber if you are interested: grant@worldacademy.org |
| Add Your Perspective |
| Your Thoughts on WAAS Program Topics
We invite WAAS Fellows to share their thoughts and perspectives on the WAAS Program topics and how these programs can respond to the major challenges facing the world today. Selected responses will be shared on WAAS social media platforms to promote dialogue, visibility, and collective thinking, with full attribution to the author.
Share Your News With Us
We are keen to hear more about your current work and how we can enhance your engagement with WAAS in a manner that is supportive and complementary. Are there conferences you have attended or are planning? Have you recently published a book, delivered a keynote, or launched an initiative that aligns with the mission of WAAS? We would be delighted to highlight such contributions in our WAAS newsletter, ensuring they reach fellow members who share your interests.
| | From The Archives |  |
Linus Pauling: A Mind for Matter, a Heart for Mankind
He’s the only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes 鈥� one for cracking the chemical bond, one for refusing to stay silent about the bomb. Linus Pauling could have rested on the science that made him the father of molecular biology. Instead, he carried a petition signed by 9,000 scientists to the UN, lost his passport, and watched his argument become international law the very day his Peace Prize was announced. Read how a chemist from Portland, Oregon became exactly the kind of mind the 被窝影视福利 was built for. 鈥�Read more 鉃�
| | In Memoriam |
 | Edgar Morin (1921-2026)
Longstanding Fellow of WAAS, French philosopher, sociologist, and Resistance veteran Edgar Morin died in May at the age of 104 in Paris. French president Emanuel Macron announced that one of the major humanists of our century had passed away. Edgar made significant contributions to the fight against Nazism as a member of the French Resistance and later challenged Stalinism and the brutality of totalitarian dictatorship. Rejecting the academic fragmentation of knowledge into isolated disciplines, he advanced a unifying vision of complexity through an interdisciplinary body of work that brought together philosophy, sociology, anthropology, epistemology, ecology, and sustainability. He offered a narrative of hope and determination and contributed to WAAS and WUC international conferences on the future of education in Rome.
|  | Rovshan Muradov (1986-2026)
The sudden passing of Rovshan Muradov, Secretary-General of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, is a profound loss to the global community of dialogue and international cooperation. Dying unexpectedly before his 40th birthday, Rovshan was an exceptional leader, scholar, and bridge-builder. He founded the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and helped establish the Global Baku Forum as a premier platform for world leaders, Nobel laureates, and scholars. At the 2026 Global Baku Forum in March, WAAS awarded Rovshan with a Distinguished Service Award. Educated in Azerbaijan, Cambridge, Stirling, and Tbilisi, he authored several books and championed cultural diplomacy. Through partnerships with organizations including WAAS, the Club of Rome, and the Club of Madrid, his vision, dedication, and commitment to peace and understanding inspired countless colleagues and friends worldwide.
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