The Lebanese Academy of Sciences, known officially by its French name "Académie des Sciences du Liban (ASL)," is a learned society

Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...

  founded by a decree of the Government of the Republic of Lebanon in August 2007 with the aim of contributing to the growth, invigoration, and dissemination of the sciences in Lebanon. Membership in the ASL is a merit-based high honor conferred by election.

Mission

According to its charter, the ASL aims to

• Provide independent advice and guidance to governmental and private institutions on matters of scientific research and education.
• Encourage, initiate and aid research and educational programs in the sciences.
• Help the dissemination and promulgation of the results of scientific research.
• Facilitate the exchange of ideas and results with similar institutions around the world.
• Bestow awards and honors on distinguished scientists.
• Exhort young Lebanese men and women to consider careers in the sciences.
• Strengthen the links between the sciences and society by addressing the needs of the population, public health, the economy and the environment.

History

The foundation of the ASL was shepherded by the French Academy of Sciences

French Academy of Sciences

The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...

, which also hosted the first meeting of the ASL in Paris on June 27, 2008. The first meeting of the ASL's Executive Committee was held in Beirut, Lebanon on October 29-31, 2008.

Members

The members of the ASL are prominent Lebanese scientists working inside and outside of Lebanon, as well as distinguished foreign scientists, including some who are of Lebanese origin, or who can contribute to the growth of the sciences in Lebanon. All ASL academicians provide their services pro bono, i.e. voluntarily and without payment, as a public service.

ASL Members:

• Sir Michael Atiyah*
• Jean-François Bach*
• Kamal Badr
  Kamal Badr
  Kamal Badr is a former Chairman of Medicine at the American University of Beirut. He is currently the founding dean of a new medical school at the Lebanese American University. The new school will be located in Byblos, Lebanon. The school will be founded in association with Harvard Medical...
  
  
• Georges Bahr (Home Secretary)*
• André Capron
• Edgar Choueiri
  Edgar Choueiri
  Edgar Y. Choueiri is a Lebanese American plasma physicist and currently President of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences. He is best known for clarifying the role of plasma instabilities in spacecraft electric thrusters , for conceiving and developing new spacecraft propulsion concepts and, more...
  
   (President)*
• Charles Elachi
  Charles Elachi
  Charles Asshur Al-Wadad Elachi is the Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory , located in Pasadena, California. He has held this position since May 1, 2001 and also holds professorships in electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech....
  
  
• Jean Dercourt*
• Nesreen Ghaddar
• Makhluf Haddadin
• Mohamed Hassan*
• June Nasrallah (Vice-President)*
• Mona Nemer
  Mona Nemer
  Mona Nemer is a Canadian science professor of Lebanese origin. She is also a scientific researcher, currently working as Vice-President, Research at the University of Ottawa, and formerly at the University of Montreal and the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal.Her research specialism is...
  
  *
• Yves Quéré*
• Edward Sion*
• Samir Zard*
• Hussein M. Zbib
  Hussein M. Zbib
  Hussein M. Zbib is a professor of mechanical and materials science engineering at Washington State University, where he has also served as Director of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Director of the Computational Mechanics and Materials Laboratory...
  
  (Treasurer)

(* Asterik denotes founding member)

External links

• Official website of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences