The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) held its 78th meeting of its Governing Board on June 5, 2024. The Governing Board representatives from Armenia, the EU, Georgia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Tajikistan, and the United States were joined by the ISTC Secretariat.

The ISTC is an intergovernmental organization created to facilitate peaceful science and technology collaborations aimed at making the world safer, more secure, and more sustainable. Over the course of two days the Secretariat briefed the Parties on financial, programmatic, and other developments related to the ISTC’s operations.

Specific topics that were discussed included the ISTC’s 30th Anniversary and the ISTC’s participation in the Japan Kansai 2025 EXPO – World Exposition, which will take place in Osaka, Japan next year (2025). The ISTC’s 30th anniversary will be celebrated in Astana, Kazakhstan on June 6, 2024, with guests and participants from around the world.

Governing Board members reviewed the ISTC's budget for 2024 and semi-annual reports from the ISTC headquarters and branch offices. The primary focus of the meeting on the second day was discussion of the Strategic Roadmap Action Plan for ISTC outreach to Potential New Members and Partners. After two days of productive discussions, the Chair of the Governing Board, Dr. Ronald F. Lehman drew the meeting to a conclusion and commented on the tremendous progress ISTC has made in the past 30 years and will continue to make in the years to come.