The International Academy of the History of Sciences was founded in 1927 on the initiative of Aldo Mieli. It brings together the most distinguished specialists in the history of science and technology, from all countries of the world, co-opted solely on the basis of their scientific excellence.
The Academy has its headquarters at the Paris Observatory and has 200 seats of full members and 300 of corresponding members. It is a member of the International Union of Academies (IUA). [Read more about the IUA and its statement on the invasion of Ukraine]
The Academy holds its general assembly every four years, as part of the international congresses of the history of science, organized since 1973 by the history of science division of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Sciences. A plenary lecture is reserved for the Academy in each congress.
Every four years, the Academy awards the prestigious Alexandre Koyré medal, which crowns the entire work of a scientist or a team, and the Young Historians Prize.
Since 1947, the Academy has published the Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences / International Archive of the History of Science (two issues per year) which succeeded the illustrious Archeion; and a collection of works De Diversis Artibus (DDA) which currently counts 107 issues.
The Archives and the collection are published by Brepols International Publishers in Turnhout, Belgium.
The Academy also carries out its own research projects such as the edition of the Correspondence of Johannes Hevelius in partnership with the Polish Academy of Sciences (Project sponsored by the IUA), the edition of Greek and Latin alchemical texts (in partnership with the Académie des inscriptions et belles lettres of the Institut de France) as well as the writing of its own history in preparation for the centenary of 2027.
Academy's Council
President: Serguei DEMIDOV (Russia)
Vice-Presidents: Liba TAUB (UK), Miguel Angel FORCADA (Spain), Jurgen RENN (Germany)
Past-Presidents: William SHEA (Canada), John HEILBRONN (USA), Eberhard KNOBLOCH (Germany), Alan SHAPIRO (USA)
Honorary Permanent Secretaries: Robert HALLEUX (Belgium), Efthymios NICOLAIDIS (Greece)
Permanent Secretary:
the permanent secretary (E. NICOLAIDIS) having resigned from all his functions on 31/12/2020, current affairs are managed by the temporary permanent secretary (R. HALLEUX), the treasurer, the archivist and the webmaster:
Permanent Secretary ad interim: Robert HALLEUX (Belgium)
Treasurer: Jan VANDERSMISSEN (Belgium)
Archivist: Chantal GRELL (France)
Webmaster: Matteo MARTELLI (Italy)