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National academy

{{Short description|Organizational body}}

A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, and serves as a public policy advisors, research institutes, think tanks, and public administration consultants for governments or on issues of public importance, most frequently in the sciences but also in the humanities. Typically the country's learned societies in individual disciplines will liaise with or be coordinated by the national academy. National academies play an important organisational role in academic exchanges and collaborations between countries.

The extent of official recognition of national academies varies between countries. In some cases they are explicitly or de facto an arm of government; in others, as in the United Kingdom, they are voluntary, non-profit bodies with which the government has agreed to negotiate, and which may receive government financial support while retaining substantial independence. In some countries, a single academy covers all disciplines. In others, there are several academies, which work together more or less closely; for example, France, where the {{Lang|fr|Institut de France|italic=no}} groups five self-governing Academies, or Australia. In many states, they are organized in academies of science. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, and in the People's Republic of China, the national academies have considerable power over policy and personnel in their areas. There is, however, a growing consensus among international federations of learned academies that bona fide national (or learned) academies need to adhere to certain criteria:

  • The fellowship is elected, on the basis of excellence, by existing fellows (members)
  • The number of fellows is restricted either to a total number or to a rate of accretion
  • The governance of the academy is democratic and "bottom up". The fellowship is the ultimate source of the academy's authority
  • The academy is independent of government, industry and professional associations. Most, if not all, academies derive some financial support from some or all of these other organisations but this support needs to be given in a manner that does not compromise the academy's independence.

United States

In 1863, President of the United States Abraham Lincoln incorporated the United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The affiliated organizations were granted congressional charters to operate under the National Academy of Sciences. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson reincorporated the organization under the National Research Council to foster scientific research emphasizing American industries. Today NASEM is composed of three non-profit member organizations: the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) (after 2015; formerly Institute of Medicine (IoM)). The U.S. national academies also serve as public policy advisors, research institutes, think tanks, and public administration consultants on issues of public importance or on request by the government.{{Cite web |title=Policy and Global Affairs Units |url=https://www.nationalacademies.org/pga/policy-and-global-affairs |access-date=2020-06-05 |website=www.nationalacademies.org |archive-date=2020-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605192031/https://www.nationalacademies.org/pga/policy-and-global-affairs |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Cooperative Research Programs Division |url=http://www.trb.org/AboutTRB/AboutCooperativeResearchPrograms.aspx |access-date=2020-06-05 |website=www.trb.org |archive-date=2020-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607110754/http://www.trb.org/AboutTRB/AboutCooperativeResearchPrograms.aspx |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Blair |first=Peter D. |date=2016-06-07 |title=The evolving role of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in providing science and technology policy advice to the US government |journal=Palgrave Communications |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1057/palcomms.2016.30 |s2cid=148496966 |issn=2055-1045 |doi-access=free }}

class="wikitable"
Name

! Year founded

! Area of focus

! President

! Notes

National Academy of Sciences

| 1863

| Science

| Marcia McNutt

|

National Academy of Engineering

| 1964

| Engineering

| John L. Anderson

|

National Academy of Medicine

| 1970

| Medicine

| Victor Dzau

| Established as the Institute of Medicine (1970–2015)

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom four national academies are the major learned societies of England: the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.{{cite web|url=http://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/joint-academies-statement-building-a-stronger-future/|title=Joint Academies' Statement: Building a Stronger Future|publisher=The Academy of Medical Sciences|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=28 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928102815/https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/joint-academies-statement-building-a-stronger-future|url-status=live}} In addition, there are the Learned Society of Wales in Wales and the Royal Society of Edinburgh in Scotland. The UK Young Academy is for young scientists.

class="wikitable"
Name

! Country

! Year founded

! Area of focus

! Patron or President

! Notes

Royal Society

| England

| 1660

| Hard sciences, soft sciences

| Charles III{{cite web |title=Royal Fellows |url=https://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/royal-fellows/ |website=Royal Society |access-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424163800/https://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/royal-fellows/ |archive-date=24 April 2014}}

| The Invisible College was a precursor to the Royal Society of London. In 1660, the informal committee of 12 philosophers formed the College for the Promoting of Physico-Mathematical Experimental Learning.

Royal Society of Edinburgh

| Scotland

| 1783

| Hard sciences, soft sciences, arts, humanities, medicine, social sciences

| Professor Dame Anne Glover as President

| The Royal Society was founded during the Scottish Enlightenment as the Edinburgh Society for Improving Arts and Sciences.

British Academy

| England

| 1902

| Humanities and social sciences

| [https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/fellows/julia-black-pba/ Professor Julia Black CBE FBA] as President

| The British Academy was first proposed in 1899 as the British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies. The name was subsequently shortened and incorporated in 1901, receiving royal charter from King Edward VII in 1902.

Royal Academy of Engineering

| England

| 1976

| Engineering

| Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was Senior Fellow until his death{{cite web |title=Senior Fellow |url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/senior-fellow |website=Royal Academy of Engineering |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=26 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826201357/https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/senior-fellow |url-status=live }}

Anne, Princess Royal and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent as Royal Fellows{{cite web |title=Royal Fellows |url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/royal-fellows |website=Royal Academy of Engineering |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=26 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826162623/https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/royal-fellows |url-status=live }}

Sir James McDonald as President{{cite web |title=President of the Royal Academy of Engineering |url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/staff-council-committees/the-president |website=Royal Academy of Engineering |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=21 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021220357/http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-president |url-status=live }}

| The Fellowship of Engineering was conceived in the late 1960s under Harold Wilson, and subsequently established in 1976. It was granted royal charter in 1983 and renamed the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1992.

Academy of Medical Sciences

| England

| 1998

| Biomedical and health research

| Professor Dame Anne Johnson as President

| The academy was established by a working group chaired by Michael Atiyah.

Learned Society of Wales

| Wales

| 2010

| Hard sciences, soft sciences, arts, humanities, medicine, social sciences

| Hywel R. Thomas as President;

Charles, Prince of Wales as Patron

|

UK Young Academy

| United Kingdom & Ireland

| 2022

| Young scientists

|

| The academy was established by seven UK/Irish academies.

Japan

In Japan, all of the national academies were established during the early years of the Showa Era. The two premier national academies in the country are the Science Council of Japan and The Japan Academy. Representing the artistic profession and literature is the Japan Art Academy.

The Science Council of Japan (SCJ) was founded by American physicist Harry C. Kelly in 1949 during the Allied occupation of Japan as a special organisation under the Prime Minister's jurisdiction, operating independently from the Government of Japan to promoting and enhancing scientific research in the country. The SCJ represents all Japanese scientists, researchers and engineers from multiple fields from the natural sciences to the humanities, making necessary policy recommendations relating to science and technology to the national government. The SCJ has 210 Council Members stipulated by a mandated quota as well as 2,000 Associate Members nationwide.

class="wikitable"

|+

!Name

!Japanese name

!Year founded

!Area of focus

!President

!Notes

Science Council of Japan

|日本学術会議

|1949

|Social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, humanities

|Takaaki Kajita

|

The Japan Academy

|日本学士院

|1947

|Social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, humanities

|Takeshi Sasaki

|The Japan Academy was originally established as the Tokyo Academy, becoming the Imperial Academy later in 1907. The Academy awards three prestigious awards: The Imperial Prize, The Duke of Edinburgh Prize, and The Japan Academy Prize.

Japan Art Academy

|日本芸術院

|1937

|Fine art, literature, music, drama, dance

|Man Nomura

|

List

{{main cat|National academies}}

{{see also|List of academies of sciences}}

Within most countries, the unqualified phrase "National Academy" will normally refer to that country's academy. For example, within the United States, the plural phrase "National Academies" is widely understood to refer to the U.S. National Academies.

See also

References

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