Leadership in Thought That Leads to Action

A global organization addressing humanity’s urgent challenges and emerging opportunities

560
Fellows

90
Countries

12
Programs

About The World Academy

WHO WE ARE

WAAS is an association of committed individuals drawn from diverse cultures, nationalities, occupations and intellectual pursuits conscious of the profound social consequences and policy implications of knowledge, and united by a common aspiration to address the urgent challenges and emerging opportunities confronting humanity. Today the Academy includes more than 560 elected Fellows from more than 90 nations collaborating with a global network of partner organizations founded on faith in the collective power of human aspiration and values.

HOW WE THINK

The Academy strives to evolve solutions to the world’s pressing challenges by transcending the limits of national self-interest, disciplinary perspectives and conventional thinking while integrating knowledge with universal values and social responsibility. The inclusion of Art in the title of the Academy is intended to foster a marriage of the objective and subjective dimensions of knowledge essential for cracking the ‘genetic code’ of consciousness and social evolution. Great Art and Science are supreme expressions of humanity & creative imagination.

Featured Projects

Global Turbulence
Exploring events related to the rising levels of global turbulence, highlighting the underlying factors and generating solutions.

The Global Peace Offensive
A proactive, dialogue-driven peace-building approach within civil society, spearheaded by the academic community.

Trauma Informed Care
Developing a trauma-informed, online chabot designed to provide reliable, scientifically grounded answers.

Upcoming Events

Existential Risk Governance in Turbulent Times

Online Webinar / 23 March, 2026. The international landscape is fracturing under the weight of geoeconomic confrontation and the erosion of global norms. As unilateralism replaces diplomacy, the stability of our rules-based order hangs in the balance. In this webinar, we examine the shifting tides of geopolitical decision-making.

XIII Global Baku Forum

Baku / 15 March, 2026. The World Academy of Art and Science will host a side event at GBF2026 that will focus on the development of solutions under three interdependent themes: Peace, Prosperity and Freedom & Human Security. The event is a continuation of the 2025 Baku side event that explored the sources of global turbulence. We will seek to develop solutions to the issues identified last year.

WAAS Talks on Science for Human Security: Science Powering Green Innovation

ONLINE / MARCH 14. The present WAAS Talk on Science for Human Security addresses one of the most important topics in science for sustainable development: the science of powering green innovation. Additionally, this WAAS Talk also focuses on the opportunities of science to contribute to.

WAAS Talks on Global Peace Offensive: Peace Offensive Rollout – What It Takes

Online | 11:30 AM CET | March 13, 2026 Register for the Event Introduction: The Global Peace Offensive is a proactive, dialogue-driven peacebuilding approach within civil society, spearheaded by the academic community. In furtherance to the Global Peace Offensive vision, adopted by WAAS and EASA, the two largest academic networks, on 21 October 2024 in …

Is Extractivism a Prime Cause of the Polycrisis? A Discussion of the Political Economy of Anthropogenic Existential Risks

Online / 17 February, 2026. A range of existential risks, increasingly converging, is threatening the world. The complexity of this emerging polycrisis demands that numerous risks be considered simultaneously. In this webinar, we consider one of these risks: Extractivism.

The Planetary Arts Movement: X-ART

Online / 28 January, 2026. This new global arts movement builds upon the original vision of eminent artists who were Fellows of the World Academy of Art and Science. The aim is to engage all art forms to confront the threats to humanity’s survival and to catalyze creative solutions that foster a peaceful, just, and flourishing world for all.

CES 2026

Las Vegas / 6-9 January, 2026. CES, the world’s largest tech event, will once again partner with the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and the United Nations Trust Fund For Human Security (UNTFHS) to highlight how tech can play a critical role in solving pressing social and environmental issues.

The Role of Science in War and Peace — Dialogue, Respect and Dignity

Zagreb / 5 December, 2025. Marking several anniversaries: The 70th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the 30th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Sir Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs.

International Conference on The Global Peace Offensive

Hybrid / 5 December, 2025. "The Challenges to Peace in the Black Sea and the Role of the Tatars for a Future based on Security, Trust & Cooperation”

Coping with Polycrisis and Systemic Risks: New Approaches to Assessment and Governance

Online / 7 November, 2025. The emphasis of integrated disaster and risk research has shifted from topical analysis, such as dealing with natural disasters, technological accidents or environmental crises, to a comprehensive analysis of interconnected and mutually interactive risk sources and crises.