The Egyptian Academy of Science, not-for-profit organization, will
provide a public service by ensuring
independent, unbiased assessments of the
sciences and by representing the
sciences both within Egypt and
internationally. The “sciences” are
defined as the full spectrum of
sciences, including natural sciences,
engineering, health sciences, social
sciences and the humanities. This
organization will build on and
complement the mandate of existing
Egyptian science organizations.
Its mission is twofold:
-
To provide a source of credible,
independent, expert assessments on the
sciences underlying pressing issues and
matters of public interest; and
-
To provide a voice for Egypt on behalf
of the sciences, both nationally and
internationally.
Activities
a.
Expert panels
Assessments
will be conducted upon a decision of the
Board. They may be initiated internally
or as a result of external requests. The
Board will approve topic, questions
asked, budget and timetable. Panel
members will be selected as experts in
the field and may include international
experts as appropriate. All assessment
reports will undergo formal review to
assure quality and objectivity and will
be widely disseminated. The EAS is
expected to conduct 5 to 6 assessments
per year: some of them should be
self-initiated and some come as a result
of external requests.
b.
International representation
The EAS will secure the
benefits associated with collaboration
in joint activities with national
academies around the world.
Mission
The primary
mission of the EAS Council is to manage
the conduct of assessments of science
via independent expert panels.
Assessments will be undertaken in
response to requests from the Egyptian
Government, and eventually upon request
from provincial governorates,
foundations, NGOs and the commercial
sector. Once a proposal for a study is
conveyed to the Council, it is reviewed
by a Scientific Advisory Committee
appointed by the Council, and then
referred to the Council’s Board of
Governors for final approval.
The Council
establishes panels of independent
experts – primarily from the academic
sector – to undertake assessments.
Membership on the panels includes both
Egyptian and international experts. The
Council pays the costs of carrying out
an assessment, but panel members serve
without fee. Expert panel assessments
undergo formal peer review to assure
quality and objectivity. The sponsor of
an assessment – whether the government
or otherwise – does not participate in
the conduct of an assessment and does
not review reports before their release,
thus ensuring the complete independence
of the process. Final reports are widely
disseminated to the public.
The Council
provides expert assessments of what is
known, and what is not known about the
science that is relevant to key public
policy issues. This will complement the
role of existing advisory bodies to the
Egyptian Government.
Mandate
The Council of
Egyptian Academy is a not-for-profit
organization registered under the Egypt
Corporations Act. The Council’s mandate
is to be a source of independent expert
assessment of the science underlying
pressing issues and matters of public
interest.
The
Council addresses the broad spectrum of
knowledge – encompassing the natural,
social and health sciences, engineering,
and the humanities.
The primary objective of the Council is to
provide for Egypt an independent and
authoritative, and therefore credible,
way to build public confidence that
policy and regulatory decisions are
being based on broadly-accepted
scientific knowledge and evidence. The
Council will also provide a focal point
for dealing with academies and related
bodies from around the world regarding
scientific assessments and related
matters.
