World Academy of Art & Science

Location

GOAL = Social Consequences & Policy Implications of Knowledge

'Internal'

(within WAAS)

Strengths

Weaknesses

  S1 – 50 years since establishment by eminent individuals – Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell

  S2 – Membership of eminent individual artists & scientists with interdisciplinary experience

  S3 – Continual renewal of membership

  S4 – Corporate structure & constitution

S5 – Ability to comprehend & discuss critically emerging complex issues relating to the social & policy impacts of knowledge

  S6 – Driven by individual interest, passion & liaison to form global & regional multi-disciplinary networks to critically explore & learn about, analyse & synthesise, disseminate & build partnerships on critical issues

  S7 – Lack of a partisan or negative reputation

W1 – Not widely known or active outside the North Atlantic region

W2 – Purpose unclear to members

W3 – Without defined programmes for collective collegial action

W4 – Harnessing knowledge, experience & passion of all members for their involvement & satisfaction

W5 – Rarely used the knowledge & experience of members in strategic programmes

W6 – Insecure programme funds for medium-term

'External'

(outside WAAS)

Opportunities

Threats

O1 – Harnessing the knowledge, experience & passion of members to address critical social challenges at regional or global scale

O2 – Identifying critical global & regional challenges within it comparative advantage for strategic action & leverage potential

O3 – Identifying target audiences for the its programmatic work

O4 – Discovering modalities for promoting mutual understanding & commonwealth

O5 – Establishing networks / 'virtual communities' exchanging information using ICT

O6 – Formation of new national academies of art & science to stimulate industry & commerce in NIEs & transition economies

T1 – Perception as a diffuse & non-serious entity

T2 – Emergence of many other global 'players' concerned with the social consequences & policy implications of knowledge (e.g. Club of Rome resurgence, School of Athens, university centres)

T3 – Strengthening of national academies of art & science to address social & policy impacts & applications of knowledge

T4 – Potential decline in funding 'global' think-tanks

T5 – Prioritization of local governance challenges resulting from globalization