The Third world Academy of Science (TWAS), founded by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and a group of distinguished scientists from the third World, completed its twentieth anniversary session in Beijing. The Academy, the largest grouping of all the top scientists from the developing world, elected a number of new officers, including Ismail Serageldin as VP for the Arab World, and Jorge Allende as VP for Latin America. Prof. Rao of India remains president, and Mohamed Hassan the permanent secretary sent out the congratulatory announcements.
Serageldin, who could not attend the Beijing meetings because of his engagement with the Curie Memorial lecture in Paris, was nevertheless elected unanimously by the TWAS membership at large.