World Academy of Art and Science

What World Academy of Art and Science does

The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit global think tank founded in 1960 by intellectuals including Robert Oppenheimer, Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein (posthumously), Joseph Needham, Lord Boyd Orr, and Brock Chisholm. Headquartered in Napa, California, WAAS operates as an elected-membership association of more than 560 Fellows from over 90 countries, capped at 1,000 Fellows plus 100 Associate Fellows and 100 Junior Fellows. Its core function is transdisciplinary convening and policy-oriented knowledge production across 12 thematic programs covering peace and common security, social transitions, human security, future education, global governance, existential risks and sustainable development, economy and finance, integral knowledge, technology as force for good, science and sustainability, human rights/ethics, and arts/culture. The Academy holds special consultative status with UN ECOSOC and consultative status with UNESCO, giving it formal standing in multilateral policy processes.

WAAS's product portfolio centers on intellectual outputs rather than commercial software: the twice-yearly Cadmus Journal (since 2010), WAAS Reports, monthly newsletters, the EXTRA InfoHub (a curated decision-maker database on existential risks, launched 2025), and the Trauma Informed Care Chatbot — a retrieval-augmented AI product built on a fine-tuned FLAN-T5-Large model with word-embedding retrieval over a trauma-informed-care research corpus. The Academy also operates the Human Security for All (HS4A) campaign, the Global Turbulence Initiative, the World University Consortium (co-founded 2013), and the jointly governed Global Peace Offensive Center (inaugurated September 26, 2025 in Maribor, Slovenia with the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and Alma Mater Europaea University). Annual events include the WAAS@66 summit and the WAAS Talks webinar series.

WAAS's business model is non-commercial and mission-driven. Revenue streams comprise annual membership dues from Fellows, donations accepted via credit/debit card, PayPal, wire transfer, checks, stocks and bonds, IRA contributions, tax-refund designations, property, and planned giving, plus in-kind contributions of supplies, technology, services, and venues. Specific dues amounts are not publicly disclosed. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees, supplemented by an elected governance structure (Board of Trustees and Fellow-led committees). Go-to-market is community-led: prospective Fellows must be nominated and seconded by existing Fellows, and engagement occurs through publications, conferences, webinars, program participation, and committee service.

Name

World Academy of Art and Science

Legal name

World Academy of Art and Science

Website

https://worldacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) is a 501(c)(3) global think tank founded in 1960, with 560+ elected Fellows from 90+ countries. It operates 12 transdisciplinary programs spanning peace, governance, education, sustainability, and human security, funded through membership dues and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Transdisciplinary research
• Policy think tank
• Academic publishing
• Global governance programs
• Peace and security studies

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Fellows pay yearly dues as a condition of membership. The Academy collects membership fees from its elected members (Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Junior Fellows) to support organizational activities.
2. Donations and Contributions: WAAS accepts donations from individuals, including credit/debit card, PayPal, checks, wire transfers, stocks and bonds, IRA contributions, and tax refunds. The organization also accepts property donations and planned giving through wills or estate planning. Grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs) and private foundations are also accepted.
3. In-Kind Donations: WAAS accepts in-kind donations including supplies, technology, services, and venues to support its mission and reduce operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) is a 501(c)(3) membership-based think tank that convenes more than 560 elected Fellows from over 90 nations to address pressing global challenges through twelve thematic programs spanning peace, human security, education, governance, existential risks, technology, and sustainable development. It produces original intellectual outputs including the Cadmus Journal, WAAS Reports, and the EXTRA InfoHub on existential threats, and delivers its work through conferences, webinars, the Trauma Informed Care AI chatbot, and partnerships with UN agencies and academic institutions.

Product overview

The World Academy of Art and Science is a global think tank offering a portfolio of intellectual products and programs rather than a unified software platform. Its core offerings include Cadmus Journal (flagship academic publication), the EXTRA info hub (curated database on existential risks), and the Trauma Informed Care AI chatbot. The organization runs 12 thematic programs spanning Peace & Security, Human Security, Future Education, Global Governance, Existential Risks, Economy & Finance, Integral Knowledge, Technology as Force for Good, Science & Sustainability, Human Rights, and Arts & Culture. Key initiatives include the Global Peace Offensive Center, Human Security for All Campaign, and Global Turbulence Initiative. WAAS also organizes annual summits (WAAS@66), the WAAS Talks webinar series, and publishes reports and newsletters. The organization collaborates with the World University Consortium on education initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cadmus Journal: A twice-yearly print and electronic journal focusing on issues related to economy, security and global governance.
• Eruditio e-Journal
• EXTRA InfoHub
• Global Peace Offensive Center

Products and services

• Cadmus Journal A twice-yearly print and electronic journal focusing on issues related to economy, security, and global governance, serving as a platform for fresh thinking and new perspectives that integrate knowledge from all fields of science, art, and humanities.
• EXTRA InfoHub A multidisciplinary information hub providing curated materials on existential threats and risks, including a directory of reports, key analyses, and insights to enable strategic foresight for human security and decision-makers facing systemic threats.
• Trauma Informed Care Chatbot An AI-driven chatbot designed to provide reliable, scientifically grounded answers on trauma-informed care. It uses a fine-tuned FLAN-T5-Large model combined with a retrieval system that scans a database of research papers using word embeddings to find relevant content for user queries, minimizing misinformation and hallucinations.
• WAAS@66 Summit Annual conference exploring solutions for global turbulence organized across civilizational themes of Peace, Prosperity, and Freedom, with four structural streams engaging Fellows, scholars, and policy practitioners.
• WAAS Talks Series Ongoing webinar series covering topics including Science for Human Security, Global Peace Offensive, and various thematic discussions on technology, education, and sustainability, reaching global audiences virtually.
• WAAS Reports Comprehensive reports documenting conferences, summits, and program outcomes including WAAS@65, World Conference on Basic Sciences, and International Conference on Future Education reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded in 1960 with 65+ years of continuous operation addressing global challenges
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025EASA co-founded the Global Peace Offensive Center with WAAS and Alma Mater Europaea University. The Center was inaugurated on September 26, 2025 in Maribor, Slovenia, with EASA President Prof. Dr. Klaus Mainzer serving as President of the Center's Scientific Committee.
• Alma Mater Europaea University (AMEU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025AMEU co-founded the Global Peace Offensive Center with WAAS and EASA. The Center is located in Maribor, Slovenia, with AMEU Rector Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak serving as Director of the Center.
• Club of RomeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2025Club of Rome joined the Global Peace Offensive initiative, co-signed the Vision Statement for a Global Peace Offensive, and announced collaboration with WAAS on April 15, 2025.
• World University Consortium (WUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAAS co-founded the World University Consortium in 2013 with the aim of creating an 'informal World University.' Together they conduct international conferences on future education, curriculum development roundtables, and pilot projects with educational institutions.
• Black Sea Universities Network (BSUN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSUN has subscribed to the Vision Statement for a Global Peace Offensive and collaborates with WAAS on peace initiatives and educational programs.
• Global Peace Education NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the Global Peace Offensive initiative through educational programming and youth engagement.
• Learning Planet InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with WAAS on future education and youth-focused peace initiatives.
• Global Futures EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Global Peace Offensive network focused on education for future generations.
• Global Security Institute (GSI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSI President Jonathan Granoff (WAAS Trustee) participates in Global Peace Offensive Center activities. GSI has co-signed the Vision Statement for a Global Peace Offensive.
• Consumer Technology Association (CTA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAAS has engaged with CTA over multiple years advancing dialogue on how emerging technologies can contribute to human security. CTA chose Human Security as the theme for CES 2023, and WAAS participates annually at CES events.
• Istituto dell'Approccio Centrato sulla Persona (IACP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIACP co-founded The Trauma Informed Care Best Practices Project with WAAS, WUC, University of Torino, BSUN, and other partners to assist professionals in adopting trauma-informed approaches.
• Lions Campus Club | Alma Mater Europaea UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner supporting Global Peace Offensive Center activities at the university level.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum: Geneva-based international organization for public-private cooperation convening political, business, and academic leaders; broader and better-funded than WAAS, but operates a similar model of cross-sector convenings, policy initiatives, and global governance thought leadership.
• Brookings Institution: Major US think tank producing public policy research on economics, foreign policy, governance, and science; broader scope and resources than WAAS but overlapping in transdisciplinary policy research and global agenda-setting.
• United Nations University: Global academic and research institution within the UN system engaging scholars on policy challenges including sustainability, peace, and governance; comparable as an internationally sanctioned scholarly institution, but operating with much larger resources.
• RAND Corporation: Large US-based policy research institution producing analysis on global challenges, security, education, and technology; broader and substantially larger than WAAS, but overlapping on global governance, human security, and technology policy themes.

Direct peers

• European Academy of Sciences and Arts: Salzburg-based academy uniting scientists, scholars, and artists across disciplines and nations; directly comparable as a transdisciplinary international academy and co-founder of WAAS's Global Peace Offensive Center.
• Club of Rome: Global think tank of distinguished scientists, economists, and policymakers addressing humanity's future challenges; directly comparable as a membership-based international thought-leadership organization and an active WAAS strategic partner on the Global Peace Offensive.
• Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs: Nobel Peace Prize-winning international organization of scholars addressing the social and ethical consequences of science and seeking peaceful solutions to global conflicts; highly comparable mission of transdisciplinary scholars tackling peace, security, and human security.
• Aspen Institute: US-based educational and policy studies organization hosting values-based leadership programs, policy convenings, and seminars; comparable as a membership-anchored global forum producing publications and convening senior leaders across sectors.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based international affairs think tank with membership-driven programs on global governance, security, and sustainability; directly comparable as a membership-anchored policy institute producing journals, events, and policy research.

Emerging players

• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): Austria-based international scientific institute conducting interdisciplinary research on global systems including climate, energy, and population; comparable as a transnational scholarly research community producing policy-relevant analysis on existential risks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_WAAS_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/worldacademyofart
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldacademyofartandscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-academy-of-art-and-science
• Instagraminstagram.com/waasofficial

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Academy of Art and Science