We at the Rafael del Pino Foundation’s Science and Society Chair are delighted to share a momentous milestone for the Spanish scientific community and for the work we carry out on a daily basis. Our director, Javier García, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Alicante, has been elected a member of the Governing Body from the International Science Council (ISC), the World Science Council. He is the first Spaniard to join this select steering committee, comprising ten world-renowned scientists.
In this new role, García will play an active part in shaping the ISC’s scientific and institutional strategy, the ISC having already established itself as the the global voice of science by establishing a network of 250 organisations from around the world, including national academies of sciences, international organisations, research councils and leading academic institutions. Its main purpose is to position scientific knowledge as a global public good, thereby ensuring that rigour and evidence guide decision-making in the face of the major challenges of our time.
Reflecting on the crucial role of research in today’s world, Javier García has emphasised on more than one occasion the urgency of the situation: «In a context characterised by…’ fragmentation and polarisation, where scientific evidence is frequently called into question, international cooperation becomes essential. The roll-out of transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing and synthetic biology opens up extraordinary horizons, but it also entails collective challenges that no single state can tackle on its own. »That is why strengthening bodies such as the World Science Council is a priority: to guarantee freedom of research and to direct scientific knowledge towards solving the common problems facing humanity.’.
Javier García heads the Molecular Nanotechnology Laboratory at the University of Alicante and was the founder of Rive Technology, a pioneering company in the development of nanostructured catalysts, the industrial application of which prevents the emission of millions of tonnes of CO₂ each year. His career in the service of global science includes milestones such as the presidency of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the founding impetus of the Young Academy of Spain.
The value of his contributions in the fields of energy, catalysis and sustainable chemistry has earned him prestigious honours, including the King Jaime I Prize, the «Juan de la Cierva’ National Research Prize» and the The Kathryn C. Hach Prize awarded by the American Chemical Society to a chemical start-up. He has also been named Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Chinese Chemical Society.
Alongside his leadership role within our Chair, García contributes his strategic vision as a member of the Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, as well as on the Council for Emerging Technologies of the World Economic Forum. It has also launched the young talent accelerator Celera, which has just launched its eleventh edition. His appointment to the ISC’s governing body reinforces our commitment to the Rafael del Pino Foundation for linking scientific knowledge with society, innovation and collective progress.