TWAS-ROLAC, the Regional Office of TWAS for Latin America and the Caribbean started its activities in June 2004, following the signature of an agreement between the Academy of Sciences for the Developing Word (TWAS) and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC). Under this agreement, TWAS-ROLAC is based at the Brazilian Academy of Sciences headquarters in Rio the Janeiro.

The Regional Office seeks to enhance the communication between TWAS and its members in Latin America and the Caribbean, to coordinate the activities of the Academy and its National Chapters in the region, and to encourage the launching of new activities for the promotion of Science in Latin America and the Caribbean. Among its activities one should stress the organization of Conferences for Young Scientists, covering various scientific topics, as well as the attribution of Prizes to the very best young researchers in the region.

The TWAS-ROLAC website contains news on science and technology that are useful for the TWAS members in the region, besides describing the history, organizational structure, membership, and activities of the Regional Office, and providing useful links.

2004 - 2008

In this period the Regional Office was chaired by prof. Carlos Alberto Aragão de Carvalho, a Brazilian physicist, and the Executive Council was formed by

Francisco Barrantes (Argentina) – Biological Sciences

Carlos Di Prisco (Venezuela) – Mathematical Sciences

Alberto Giesecke (Peru) – Earth Sciences

Manuel Limonta (Cuba) – Medical Sciences

Silvia Peimbert (Mexico) – Physics

Rafael Vicuña (Chile) – Biological Sciences

2009

In this year prof. Marcelo Viana, a Brazilian mathematician, took over as Chair of the Regional Office and the Executive Council became

Francisco Barrantes (Argentina) – Biological Sciences

Carlos Di Prisco (Venezuela) – Mathematical Sciences

Manuel Limonta (Cuba) – Medical Sciences

Harold Ramkinsoon (Trinidad Tobago) – Mathematical Sciences

Ranulfo Romo (Mexico) – Neurosciences

Rafael Vicuña (Chile) – Biological Sciences