Board of Directors
Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Hon. President
Federico Mayor is Chair of the Fundación Cultura de Paz (Foundation for a Culture of Peace) and former Director General of UNESCO (1987-1999). During his tenure as Director General of UNESCO, he launched the Program for a Culture of Peace, among other initiatives. Formerly he was professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Rector of the University of Granada (1968-1972), Minister of Education and Science of Spain (1981-1982), and Deputy Director General of UNESCO (1978-1981). He has also served as a Member of the European Parliament and as advisor to the Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez. In October 2005 he was appointed by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as co-chair of the High-Level Group for the “Alliance of Civilizations”. Holding a doctorate in Pharmacy, he served in prominent faculty positions in the field of biochemistry. He co-founded the Centre of Molecular Biology in Madrid, was Chair of the Autonomous University of Madrid, was the Rector at the University of Granada, and conducted research at Oxford. More recently he chaired the European Research Council.
Remus Pricopie, President
Remus Pricopie is Rector of National School of Political Science and Public Administration, Bucharest since 2014, Vice President and Treasurer of the International Association of Universities since 2017, Chair of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Culture and Civilization of the Levant, Bucharest, and President of Board of Directors of the Romanian-US Fulbright Commission. He was formerly Minister of Education in Romania (2012-14). In 2018, he was elected President of the Permanent Academic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean - European Union. He was responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of the Romanian Research Strategy (2012-2014) and also contributed to the development and implementation of EU research policies (2012-2014).
Garry Jacobs, Chair of the Board and CEO
Garry Jacobs is President and Chief Executive Officer of World Academy of Art & Science; Managing Editor, Cadmus Journal; President, The Mother's Service Society (MSS), a social science research institute in Pondicherry, South India; and Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Institute for Person-Centered Approach, Italy. Formerly he served as Chair of the Board of the World Academy (2011-13) and Chair of its Strategic Planning Committee. In 1989 he co-founded the International Commission on Peace and Food, served for 5 years as its Member-Secretary, convener of ICPF’s working groups on Employment and on Transition in Eastern Europe, coordinator of the research team that evolved a strategy to generate 100 million new jobs in India, and editor of the Commission's report to the UN entitled Uncommon Opportunities. Following completion of the Commission’s report, he became President, International Center for Peace & Development in California. He is an American born consultant on management and economic development conducting research on economic, social development, employment, business strategy, organizational theory, psychology, education and psychology and development strategies.
Alberto Zucconi, Secretary General
Alberto Zucconi is Chair of the Board of World Academy of Art & Science and President of the Person-Centred Approach Institute (IACP), a non-profit international organization, co-founded with Carl Rogers and Charles Devonshire dedicated to research in human behaviour, the promotion of health and the training of professionals. A clinical psychologist, he is a former student and collaborator of the late Carl Rogers one of the founding fathers of Humanistic Psychology and originator of the Client-Centred Therapy and the Person Centred Approach, a scientifically formulated paradigm that has impacted the fields of psychology, education and management. He is also a Fellow of the International Leadership Forum (ILF), and a senior staff member of the Carl Rogers Institute for Peace. He has been working internationally for 40 years as a trainer, lecturer and consultant for public and private organizations and is currently teaching Client Centred Therapy and the Person Centred Approach at the post graduate level at the University of Siena (Italy).
Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania (1996-2000) and leader of the Romanian Democratic Convention (1992-1996), is currently the President of the Institute for Advanced Studies on the Culture and Civilization of the Levant, President of the Romanian Academic Forum, Trustee of the World Academy of Art & Science, Honorary President of the Bucharest University Senate and Professor at the Faculty of Geology at the same university, a member of the Board of the Institute for East-West Studies in New York, of the Balkan Political Club, and co-chair of World Justice Project. Formerly he served as Rector of the University of Bucharest, President of the Romanian National Council of Rectors, member of the Steering Committee of the European University Association, and the International Association of University Chairmen. He graduated from the law school of the University of Bucharest and started his career as a geologist.
Mila Popovich
Mila Popovich is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, Founder, EVOLving Leadership, published poet and Associate expert at the Seventh Research Framework Programme at the European Commission.
Janani Ramanathan
Janani Ramanathan is the Secretary General of the World Academy of Art and Science and is a senior research analyst at The Mother’s Service Society, Pondicherry, India. She has been engaged in research in a range of topics spanning the social sciences. She has been working with schools and other educational institutions in India, implementing active, collaborative, person-centered and values-based education. She is also a consultant to nonprofit and business organizations, implementing strategies to improve their efficiency, profitability, and sustainable growth.
Kakha Shengelia
Kakha Shengelia is the President, International Association of University Presidents and Caucasus University. Apart from his administrative responsibilities he teaches courses in Management Concept and History of Georgia. He was formerly a Member of Parliament of Georgia, Deputy Chair of Committee of Education, Science, Sports and Culture and Committee of Foreign Affairs. He was a Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi in Social Affairs. He was awarded the Presidential Order of Excellence by the President of Georgia and the Ring of Honor by the University of Applied Sciences (Upper Austria). He is also a Member of the Steering Committee of NISPAcee (The Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe).
S.S. Sreejith
S.S. Sreejith is the Founder & CEO of Global Institute of Integral Management Studies and Associate Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He is also the Knowledge partner of Confederation of Indian Industries - Institute of Logistics and the Chief Organizer of Double It! India, a series of conferences arranged in India, intended for rapid growth and profitability of Indian enterprises. Being a graduate in agricultural sciences and a post graduate in international business, he is an expert in multi-dimensional planting system and in international trade of agro-commodities. Sreejith is also an academic consultant to many self financing colleges in south India, helping them to improve their quality of education, class room delivery and in establishing sustainable models of education.
Ismail Serageldin
Ismail Serageldin is Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center in Baku and former Director of Library of Alexandria. He is Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library and serves as Chair and Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts which includes the Institut d'Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science), US National Academy of Sciences (Public Welfare Medalist), the American Philosophical Society, TWAS (World Academy of Sciences), the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is former Chair, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1994-2000), Founder and former Chair, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a microfinance program (1995-2000) and was Professor of the International Chair Savoirs contre pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), at Collège de France, Paris, and Distinguished Professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has also served in a number of capacities at the World Bank, including as Vice President for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (1992-1998), and for Special Programs (1998-2000).serves on the Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report for 2013 and 2016, as well as the UNESCO-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010) and Chairs the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (2010). He also co-chaired the African Union's high level panel for Biotechnology (2006) and again for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in 2012-2013, and was a member of the ICANN Panel for the review of the internet future (2013).
Marcel Van de Voorde
Marcel van de Voorde has 40 years’ experience in European Research Organisations including CERN-Geneva, European Commission, with 10 years at the Max Planck Institute, Stuttgart. For many years, he was involved in research and research strategies, policy and management especially in European research institutions.
He has been a member of many Research Councils and Governing Boards of Research institutions across Europe, the US and Japan. As well as his Professorship at the University of Technology in Delft, the Netherland, he holds multiple visiting professorships in Europe and worldwide. He holds multiple doctor honoris causa and various honouree Professorships.
His is senator of the European Academy for Sciences and Arts, in Salzburg and trustee of the World Academy for Sciences. He is a member of the science council of the French Senate/Assembly National in Paris (FR). He has also kept executive advisory functions to presidents, ministers of science policy, rectors of Universities, CEO’s of technology institutions e.a. to the president and CEO of IMEC, Technology Centre in Leuven, Belgium. He is also a Fellow of various scientific societies. He has been decorated by Belgian King and European authorities’ e.a.an award for European merits in Luxemburg given by the former President of the European Commission. He is author of multiple scientific and technical publications and co-edited multiple books especially in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
He has been a member of many Research Councils and Governing Boards of Research institutions across Europe, the US and Japan. As well as his Professorship at the University of Technology in Delft, the Netherland, he holds multiple visiting professorships in Europe and worldwide. He holds multiple doctor honoris causa and various honouree Professorships.
His is senator of the European Academy for Sciences and Arts, in Salzburg and trustee of the World Academy for Sciences. He is a member of the science council of the French Senate/Assembly National in Paris (FR). He has also kept executive advisory functions to presidents, ministers of science policy, rectors of Universities, CEO’s of technology institutions e.a. to the president and CEO of IMEC, Technology Centre in Leuven, Belgium. He is also a Fellow of various scientific societies. He has been decorated by Belgian King and European authorities’ e.a.an award for European merits in Luxemburg given by the former President of the European Commission. He is author of multiple scientific and technical publications and co-edited multiple books especially in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Ralph Wolff
Ralph Wolff is the Founder and former President of The Quality Assurance Commons, and an independent policy consultant focusing on accreditation and quality assurance processes in the US and internationally. He previously served as the president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission from 1996 through August 2013, and as Associate Executive Director since 1981. He is a member of the University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and on the National Advisory Boards of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) and for the Lumina Foundation on the Degree Qualifications Profile. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the United States International University Africa, located in Nairobi, Kenya and Palo Alto University. He has published multiple articles and book chapters on accreditation, quality assurance, distance education, and the changing role of the library. Before joining the staff of WASC, Mr. Wolff was one of the founders of the Antioch School of Law in Washington DC, which now continues to operate as the David A. Clarke Law School at the University of the District of Columbia. The law school was the first-ever designed to prepare lawyers to serve in public interest and poverty law settings. He later became dean of the Antioch Graduate School of Education. He also served as Associate Provost, setting up internal quality assurance processes for the geographically dispersed college. In 1976, he was appointed a law professor at the University of Dayton. A graduate of Tufts University, Mr. Wolff received his JD with honors from the National Law Center at George Washington University. He continues to be a member of the Washington, DC bar. For his service in support of quality assurance and improvement in the WASC region and nationally he was awarded in 2008 the Virginia B. Smith Award for Innovation in Higher education and, in 2013, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Loma Linda University..