GSAS was established by international partners to:

1. Advance innovation in critical areas of global Global Challenge areas such as Energy, Environment, Health; and
2. Train the next generation of young researchers with global leadership capabilities. li>

GSAS involves the best minds and institutions from around the world including GSAS Scholars (advanced graduate students and postdocs in various science and engineering fields) and GSAS Fellows (senior experts in research, policy, technology transfer and manufacturing).

GSAS was successfully launched in Taiwan last year with major funding from the National Science Council of Taiwan and participation from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Dual Mission

Operations

GSAS is jointly operated and funded by international partners.

The School is managed by an 8-member international Executive Committee with guidance from an extensive Advisory Board of experts in science, engineering, policy, manufacturing, and technology management. GSAS Staff is  headquartered at Northwestern University under the leadership of GSAS Director, R.P.H. Chang, with a growing number of regional hubsites around the world.

Regional Hubsites:

Europe:        Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Germany)

Africa:          iThemba Labs (South Africa)

Asia:            National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan)

Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan)

Sponsors

GSAS gratefully acknowledges major support from:

• National Science Council of Taiwan
• National Science Foundation (US)

Additional Support for the 2006 Taiwan Solar Cell Session was provided by:

• Taiwan Power Company
• Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, ITRI, Taiwan
• Photovoltaics Technology Center, ITRI, Taiwan

• National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
• Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  

Additional Support for the 2008 Session in Sydney Australia is provided by:

• Australian Research Network for Advanced Materials, Australia
• Australian Materials Research Society, Australia

Participating Institutions: The following world-class research institutions have supported GSAS by hosting Sessions, hosting Global Research projects, or by contributing GSAS Scholars and Fellows:

Academic and Research Institutions

• University of Newcastle (Australia)
• Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Germany)
• University of Freiburg (Germany)
• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (Japan)
• Toyota Technological Institute, Super-High Efficiency Photovoltaics Research Center (Japan)
• University of San Carlos (Philippines)
• Kracow University of Technology (Poland)
• iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, Capetown (South Africa)
• University of Zululand (South Africa)
• Universidad Politechnica De Madrid, Instituto de Energia Solar (Spain)
• National University of Singapore (Singapore)
• Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
• Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan)
• National Central University, Institute of Optical Sciences (Taiwan)
• National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
• National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan)
• California Institute of Technology (US)
• Colorado State University (US)
• Consortium for Very High Efficiency Solar Cells (US)
• Cornell University (US)
• Northwestern University, Materials Research Institute (US)
• University of California at Los Angeles (US)
• University of California at Santa Barbara (US)
• University of Delaware (US)
• University of Washington (US)

Industry

• Delta Electonics Inc. (Taiwan)
• New Core Technology (Taiwan)
• Solartech Energy Corporation (Taiwan)
• Taiwan Power Company (Taiwan)

History

The GSAS Concept emerged from a collective planning process involving members of the international science and education community. In May 2005,leading researchers and policy members from 26 countries and the European Community met at the 3rd Global Nanotechnology Network Development Workshop in Saarbrucken, Germany. Participants suggested

1. A closer integration of research and education for higher level students in order to rapidly prepare them to enter the global workforce; and
2. Unifying diverse international stakeholders by adopting a focus on critical Global Challenges.

More international scientists and educators met in Cancun Mexico in August 2005 at a special symposium to mark the anniversary of the Materials World Network . Participants brainstormed potential flagship initiatives to mobilize the global membership of the MWN and the GSAS concept was distilled from these group recommendations and from a two-fold challenge set forth by NSF Director, Dr. Arden Bement, Jr. to:

1. “Foster a global network to achieve common, long-term goals” and solve “persistent problems in environment, health, energy, and security”; and
2. "Train an “international cadre of sophisticated young scientists and engineers who will carry forward our work in decades to come.”

First Session in Taiwan: The GSAS initiative was met with widespread enthusiasm, but it was the National Science Council of Taiwan, under the leadership of former International Affiars Minister Wu Maw Kuen, that demonstrated the strongest commitment by agreeing to fund the first Session in Taiwan on the theme of Advanced Solar Cell Research. This first Session hosted twenty Scholars and nine experts from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The Session was hosted by the National Tsing Hua University, Academia Sinica, and Industrial Technological Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan. The winning research project is being implemented at ITRI.

Since that time, additional funding has been provided by the US National Science Foundation and GSAS is seeking to expand its base of support to include other major agencies and industrial partners worldwide. The next GSAS Session will be held in Sydney Australia in July 2008 .