The Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) Third General Assembly and International Conference

The meeting is which will focus on "Women’s Impact on Science and Technology in the New Millennium" is expected to attract more than 200 women scientists from around the world.

Trieste, Italy. The Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) will hold its third general assembly at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, from 21-25 November. More than 200 prominent women scientists from around the world are expected to attend. The government of India's Department of Science and Technology is hosting the event.

"The theme of this year's conference," says Lydia Makhubu, president of the TWOWS, "is the impact of women on science and technology in the new millennium. We think this is an appropriate topic given the rising status of women in many scientific fields despite the significant obstacles that still stand in the way of their success. We plan to celebrate the former while examining strategies on how to overcome the latter."

A.P.J. Kalam, president of India, will speak at the opening ceremony of the conference. Other scheduled speakers include Princess S. Chulabhorn of Thailand and C.N.R. Rao, president of TWAS (the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World) and chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister of India.

"To facilitate discussions," notes Makhubu, "the conference will be divided in four thematic tracks – education, health, environment and new technologies. Each track will consider the role of women scientists in advancing these broad societal issues and explore how that role may be expanded in the future."

In addition to the conference's core themes, there will also be a day-long session devoted to the work of women scientists in India and an invited lecture on reproductive health presented by Anne McLaren, professor and principal research associate at the Gurdon Institute in Cancer Research and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, UK.

The conference will conclude with a series of business meetings examining TWOWS's budget and future programmatic activities. Members will also cast their ballots for a new president to replace Mukhubu who has led TWOWS since the organization was launched in 1988.

For additional information about the TWOWS general meeting in India, see www.twows.org.

From 21 Nov 2005
Until 25 Nov 2005
Bangalore, India
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