The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) has elected the Rector of Alma Mater Europaea University, Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak, as a member of its Board of Trustees (Trustee).
The election represents an important international recognition of his long-standing academic, professional, and institutional work and further strengthens the cooperation between Alma Mater and the World Academy of Art and Science.
The World Academy of Art and Science is an international organization that brings together distinguished scientists, artists, academics, and other leading experts from various fields. Its work is based on the belief that knowledge should serve humanity and contribute to solving key global challenges. It pays special attention to issues of peace and security, sustainable development, the future of education, human rights, and social and technological change.
Upon the election of Prof. Dr. Toplak, the World Academy emphasized his extensive academic experience and the breadth of perspective he brings to its leadership. His appointment also continues his many years of international engagement and efforts to connect the academic sphere, education, and dialogue among institutions and countries.
Alma Mater and the World Academy of Art and Science are connected by years of substantive and institutional cooperation.
WAAS participates in Alma Mater’s international academic and scientific initiatives, including the traditional international scientific conference It's About People, which, in cooperation with the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, brings together researchers, academics, and experts from around the world.
An important area of joint activity is also the promotion of a culture of peace and dialogue. The cooperation of Alma Mater, the World Academy of Art and Science, and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts is developing within initiatives aimed at connecting science, education, and social responsibility in the search for answers to contemporary global challenges.
The election of Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak to the leadership of the World Academy of Art and Science therefore represents both recognition of his personal academic work and an important confirmation of Alma Mater’s international integration. At the same time, it opens up additional opportunities for deepening joint research, educational, and international projects, as well as for the even more active involvement of the university in discussions about the future of science, education, and society.
We sincerely congratulate Rector Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak on his election and wish him every success in his new role.
Rector of Alma Mater Europaea University, Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak, and President of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), Garry Jacobs, at the ceremonial inauguration of Alma Mater University, October 2024.
About the World Academy of Art and Science
The history of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) is quite closely linked to one of the greatest dilemmas of the 20th century: what happens when scientific progress outpaces our ability to use new discoveries responsibly.
Beginnings after the Second World War
The roots of WAAS go back to the period after the Second World War and the emergence of nuclear weapons. Among leading scientists, there was a growing conviction that scientists are not responsible only for discoveries, but must also reflect on the social and ethical consequences of their use. Particularly important were Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Bertrand Russell, and other intellectuals concerned about the danger of the nuclear arms race.
An important milestone was the Russell-Einstein Manifesto of 1955, which warned of the danger of nuclear war and called for the resolution of international disputes without war. This intellectual climate directly influenced the creation of WAAS.
1956: a concrete idea for a world academy
In 1956, the first International Conference on Science and Human Welfare was held in Washington. It was organized by the American scientists Richard Montgomery Field and John A. Fleming.
The participants decided to establish an international academy that would not represent states or political blocs, but would unite individuals from different fields of knowledge. An international preparatory committee was established, which included Robert Oppenheimer, among others.
This is an important distinguishing feature of WAAS: it was conceived as a transnational, not merely international organization. Its members were expected to act primarily as scientists, artists, and thinkers, not as representatives of their countries.
1960: the founding of WAAS
WAAS was formally founded on 24 December 1960. Its first president became the Scottish biologist and Nobel laureate Lord John Boyd Orr, who was also the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Among the founders or figures associated with the creation of the Academy were:
- J. Robert Oppenheimer, head of the scientific work of the Manhattan Project,
- Bertrand Russell, philosopher and Nobel laureate,
- Joseph Rotblat, physicist and later Nobel Peace Prize laureate,
- Hermann Joseph Muller, Nobel laureate in Medicine,
- Joseph Needham, one of the co-founders of UNESCO,
- Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of WHO,
- and many other scientists, humanists, and artists.
Albert Einstein is a special case. He died in 1955, before the Academy was formally established, which is why WAAS lists him as one of its “posthumous founding members” or spiritual fathers of the Academy.
Fundamental idea
The founders did not want to create just another traditional academy of sciences. Their idea was much broader: to connect the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts and use the knowledge gained to solve the problems of humanity.
In the founding manifesto, they described WAAS as a kind of informal “world university,” where the highest level of scientific thinking would be linked with ethical responsibility.
Einstein’s thought, which they included in the founding text, was also very telling: the creations of the human mind should be a blessing and not a curse for humanity.
