Robbert Dijkgraaf named President-Elect of International Science Council

The ISC is an international NGO that brings together more than 250 international scientific associations, academies, research councils, international federations and young academies. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences was one of its founding members. 

The ISC seeks to be the global voice for science, particularly among UN organisations, and to ensure that science is properly positioned to address the problems that the world is facing.

Dijkgraaf: ‘It is a great honour to serve the International Science Council, the oldest and most comprehensive organisation representing the worldwide scientific community. Especially in these times of geopolitical tension and global challenges, it is important that the voice of science rings clear, and that researchers continue to engage in dialogue, with each other and with society at large.’

Dijkgraaf’s appointment as President-Elect is a tremendous asset to the International Science Council. He has a deep understanding of the global scientific landscape, acquired as Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, as director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and as former president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His ability to navigate the intersection of science and policy will be invaluable for science worldwide.

About Robbert Dijkgraaf

Robbert Dijkgraaf is a mathematical physicist. From 2005 to 2022, he was distinguished professor at the University of Amsterdam. 

Dijkgraaf has a long track record in science policy. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands.  From 2012 to 2022, he was director of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, one of the world’s foremost centres for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. In 2008, he became President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and served in this position until 2012. Prior to this, he was co-chair of the global federation of scientific organisations, the InterAcademy Council.

With his many television appearances, columns and popular science publications, Robbert Dijkgraaf became the face and voice of science in the Netherlands. His televised lectures attracted unprecedented numbers of viewers. Dijkgraaf has a unique ability to communicate about science, explain how it works, and clarify to the public what it can do for humanity and the world.

Contact 

Zhenya Tsoy, Acting Head of Communications, International Science Council 
zhenya.tsoy@council.science 
+33 6 1771 4991