Last winter, Abdel Nasser Tawfik was an eyewitness to the birth of the Arab Spring in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Now, he is seeking to transform his research institute in Egypt into an international centre of excellence. He spoke about his efforts during a recent visit to Trieste.

Queena Ngo Lee-Chua, a recipient of the 2010 TWAS Regional Office in East and South East Asia (TWAS-ROESEAP) prize for the popularization of science, speaks about her passion for maths teaching in the current issue of the TWAS Newsletter.

Africa's most important resource are its people, and especially its young people, say Mohamed H.A. Hassan and Daniel Schaffer in a recent 'TWAS Newsletter' article examining the future of science and development in Africa.

Roseanne Diab, executive director of the Academy of Science of South Africa, talks about the involvement of scientists from the developing world in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The agenda for nutritional research in Africa should be led by African scientists, says Patrick Kolsteren, coordinator of the European Union 'Sunray' project.

The nuclear accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi in Japan will slow but not stop the Arab region's recent efforts to embrace nuclear power, says Adnan Shihab-Eldin, director general of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.

It was born of necessity three decades ago. Today 'Kangaroo Mother Care' helps millions of infants and mothers lead healthier lives. But more needs to be done to spread the word, says Nathalie Charpak.

A profound personal experience that took place a decade ago has helped shape Jeremie Thouakesseh Zoueu's research agenda ever since.

Science centres could help advance the cause of science-based development in Africa, says Jean-Pierre Ezin.

TWAS is pleased to announce the 'TWAS-Celso Furtado Prize in Social Sciences'. With funding from the Brazilian government for the next four years, the annual prize will carry a USD15,000 cash award. The first prize winner will be announced in 2012.