1952 Since its foundation in 1952, the International that have made the ISSC what it is today. It On behalf of the ISSC Executive Committee, As we look ahead to the International Science Social Science Council (ISSC) has been at the highlights significant achievements of the most I’d like to thank and acknowledge everyone from Council, we can do so with confidence. From its forefront of trends in international social science recent period, such as the World Social Science our members, partners, Executive Committee and early days, the ISSC has championed the value research and collaboration. This commemorative Report and World Social Science Forum, and key Secretariat who has contributed to the ISSC over of social science to build understanding and to booklet is published on the occasion of the research programmes such as Transformations to the past decades. As this publication makes clear, solve global problems. Today, when the world is merger with the International Council for Sustainability and the Comparative Research the ISSC has always found its strengths in its facing unprecedented challenges, and the digital Science (ICSU). It highlights and invites Programme on Poverty (CROP). It is by no ability to convene people, to make new revolution has created unprecedented reflection on some of the key moments from the means exhaustive and anyone interested in connections across disciplinary or geo-political opportunities to connect with each other for the past 65 years of the ISSC and describes activities, diving further into the ISSC’s history will find boundaries, and in the new horizons for research purposes of building shared understanding, I central characters and institutional developments a list of additional resources at the end. and understanding that result from opening up have no doubt that coming generations of social knowledge in ways previously thought impossible. scientists will take forward our proud tradition. 2 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 3 Claude Lévi-Strauss in 2005. Photo: UNESCO/Michel Ravassard (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Levi-strauss_260.jpg), „Levi-strauss 260“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0/legalcode The origins of the International Social co-operative and comparative studies”. A year The ISSC’s constitutive General Assembly Science (IALS), the International Economic Science Council (ISSC) lie in the aftermath later, the 6th General Conference of the United was held in October 1952. In the beginning Association (IEA), the International Political of the Second World War, an era marked by Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural the Council consisted of ten people, two Science Association (IPSA), the International the expectation that the social sciences would Organization (UNESCO) followed up this thirds of whom were chosen on the basis Sociological Association (ISA), the International contribute directly to solving social problems. recommendation and passed the resolution that of recommendations from social science Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) and In September 1950 the World Congress of formally led to the foundation of the ISSC. It associations. The rest were to be outstanding the International Union of Anthropological and International Sociological and Political Science envisaged that the ISSC would survey existing specialists selected by the other Council Ethnological Sciences (IUAES). Claude Lévi- Associations advocated “the development, social science research institutes and centres and members with the aim of bringing in wider Strauss (France, anthropology) was appointed as rapidly as possible, of an International examine what contribution they could make to disciplinary representation. The associations Secretary-General, while Donald Young (United Council for Social Research to serve as a the “most important problems of the present entrusted to nominate candidates for the ISSC States, sociology) became President. clearing house, a centre of information and age”, including for the purpose of aiding these were the International Association of Legal consultation, an instrument for facilitating centres’ development and cooperation. 4 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 5 Following its creation the ISSC started carrying The International Bureau for Research into the out research on issues reflecting the priorities of Social Implications of Technological Progress the day, such as the influence of changes of scale (BIRISPT) was created in 1953 as a research arm on the properties of social groups, the social of the ISSC. It was led by Georges Balandier, implications of industrialization, compromises in a French anthropologist. From Gandhi’s views different cultures, socio-cultural factors affecting on machines and technology, to links between productivity, or the utilization of mathematics industrial change and juvenile delinquency, to in the social sciences. A number of reports on nuclear energy for peace and the relationship the development of social sciences in the world between social change and technological and the evaluation of international cooperation progress, BIRISPT involved a wide network of programmes were also produced. international experts in an important number of pilot studies and comparative research projects, including, for instance, future Nobel prize winner Simon Kuznets. The ISSC started publishing Social Science Information (SSI)/ Information sur les sciences sociales in 1962. This bilingual, pluri-disciplinary journal reported and reflected on critical intellectual and institutional social science developments worldwide. The ISSC ceased its In 1963, as the Cold War began to thaw, the Europe. For three decades the Centre was one involvement with SSI in 1986; today the journal ISSC established the Coordination Centre for of the few international institutions allowing continues to be published by Sage. Social Science Research and Documentation genuine cross-national research collaborations – better known as the ‘Vienna Centre’ – to between Eastern Europe and the West. It support cooperation and collaborations between coordinated comparative studies on topics such Eastern and Western European social scientists as time budgets, regional development aid, on problems of shared relevance and interest. university diplomas, innovation in agriculture, Its Vienna-based secretariat, first led by Adam and aspects of the family. The Vienna Centre Schaff and later by Stephen C. Mills, maintained was formally closed in 1993, its relevance having a strict balance between Eastern and Western declined in the changing geo-political context. 6 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 7 In 1965 the ISSC established Standing Committees for programmes of research in three new areas: comparative studies, data archives and environmental disruption. It also established the International Centre for Intergroup Relations (in collaboration with the École des Hautes Études Pratiques, France) the same year. The studies, bibliographies and trend reports in these areas produced by the ISSC over the following decade had a lasting impact. From being a council of social science Criminology (ISC), the International Union Stein Rokkan took office as ISSC President luminaries, the ISSC evolved in 1972 to become for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), in 1973. Together with Secretary-General Samy a federation of international disciplinary the World Association of Public Opinion Friedman, they attempted to re-energize the associations, following the model of the Research (WAPOR) and World Federation for ISSC’s activities by initiating four new areas of International Council for Philosophy and Mental Health (WFMH). Furthermore, in 1973 thematic and structural work: World Models, Humanistic Studies (CIPSH) and the the ISSC established the Conference of National to study and review computer models for International Council of Scientific Unions Social Science Councils and Analogous Bodies forecasting long-term trends of change; Urban (ICSU). The structural change increased (CNSSC) to facilitate cooperation between Networks, to advance comparative analysis of membership, with the accession of the national social science bodies. The CNSSC (now interactions among cities and the consequences Stein Rokkan served as ISSC International Peace Research Association the International Federation of Social Science of locational patterns for inequalities; World President from 1973 to 1977 (IPRA), the International Law Association Organizations, IFSSO) was admitted as a full Social Science Development, a Committee of and developed a number of (ILA), the International Geographical ISSC member in 1979. ‘Third World’ social scientists developing a set new activities. Union (IGU), the International Society for of joint activities, and Social Conditions, an advisory group identifying priority tasks for research and action in the social sciences. 8 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 The International Social Science Council, 1952 – 2018 9 In 1983, under the leadership of Candido help secure funding for new activities was not Mendes, President, and Luis I. Ramallo, fulfilled, as the withdrawal of the USA and Secretary-General, the ISSC adopted a number United Kingdom from UNESCO in 1984 led to of new priorities which were closely associated a freeze on subventions,