2010 Award for International Scientific Cooperation Recipient

AAAS Award for International Scientific Cooperation

2010 Award Recipient

Glenn E. Schweitzer

Glenn E. Schweitzer

Glenn E. Schweitzer has tirelessly promoted international scientific cooperation and science diplomacy for over 50 years.

Throughout his career, he has worked cooperatively with scientists in many countries, including Russia and Iran. As the first Science Officer stationed in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, he was able to form ties with many Russian scientists—relationships he has maintained to this day. After the collapse of the Soviet Union led to reductions in their military industrial complexes in both nuclear and bioweapons research and development, the West was faced with the challenge of helping to redirect thousands of Soviet scientists and engineers to peaceful, non- threatening civilian work. In response, Professor Schweitzer helped to establish the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) in the early 1990’s to assist the global scientific and business community to engage with scientists from former Soviet countries. Schweitzer served as ISTC’s first Executive Director.

Now Director of the Office for Central Europe and Eurasia at the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Schweitzer was appointed Chairman of an International Experts Committee to survey the landscape of science and technology in Kazakhstan and made recommendations to the prime minister for strengthening science and technology as part of national development plans there. Recently, he was appointed to a new committee sponsored by the World Bank to work further on Kazakhstan’s development. His work has also focused on Iran, resulting in collaborative efforts between the U.S. National Academies and the Iranian Academy of Sciences and a visit by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to the National Academy of Sciences, as well as high-level U.S. scientific delegations to Iran. His report entitled “The Pervasive Role of Science, Technology, and Health in Foreign Policy” (1999) led to the establishment of the Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State.

Professor Schweitzer received an M.S. from the California Institute of Technology, a B.S. from the United States Military Academy, and has done graduate work in international law and nuclear engineering at George Washington University and Belgrade University respectively. He is a AAAS Fellow and has received numerous awards and commendations for his efforts to advance international scientific cooperation.