Thirty-seven early- and mid-career climate scientists from 27 developing countries gathered in Trieste, Italy, this week for a three-day workshop connecting them directly with experts from the world’s leading climate science body.
The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries (TWAS) opened the Climate Training Workshop on 5 May 2026 at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) campus, where TWAS is based. Eight senior climate experts, several affiliated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), lead sessions running through 7 May.
The workshop aims to give scientists from some of the countries most exposed to climate change the tools to engage international organisations, influence global priorities, and reduce harm to their communities.
Sessions cover climate science, adaptation strategies in under-resourced contexts, and the mechanics of how IPCC assessment reports are produced and published. A central objective is to show participants exactly how scientists from developing regions can contribute to IPCC cycles and ensure their findings shape global policy. The timing is deliberate: discussions now include considerations on the upcoming Seventh Assessment Cycle, making the pathway to participation both timely and concrete.
Among the 37 attendees are 11 PhD candidates supported by the TWAS–Sida PhD Scholarships for Climate Research for Students from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The programme aims to produce what TWAS calls “climate ambassadors” — researchers equipped to communicate evidence clearly and amplify local scientific voices on the global stage.
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds the workshop.
TWAS President Quarraisha Abdool Karim said the goal is to show participants “how to participate in the IPCC and what it means to be part of the IPCC.”
This is the second edition of the TWAS–IPCC training programme. The 2024 edition brought together 47 scientists from 36 countries. The 2026 cohort is smaller but more targeted, with a sharper focus on LDC representation and the cycle ahead.
