Argentinian National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences

Founded in 1874


The Argentinian National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (ANCEFN) (Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales) was founded on 26 March 1874 making it one of the oldest institutions of this kind in Latin America. On that day a decree was issued setting out the constitution and the operation of the Academy. At this stage the Academy was part of the University of Buenos Aires. On 16 June 1926, the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences acquired autonomy as a civil institution with its own statutes and regulations enacted by the National Government.

The purpose of the Academy, as set out in the 1926 statutes, is to be a civil association, of a scientific nature, with legal status, whose purpose is "to promote the advancement, development and dissemination of the exact, physical and natural sciences and their technologies, in order to contribute to the progress of the Nation."

In 1980, the headquarters of the Argentinian National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences was established on the fourth floor of the "House of the National Academies" on Alvear Avenue No. 1711 on the corner of Rodríguez Peña Street, in the city of Buenos Aires. This building was built in 1925 and acquired by the State in 1973. It houses several of the Argentinian academies.

The Argentinian National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences is divided into three Sections: Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy; Engineering; and Chemical, Earth and Biological Sciences.

In 1928 the Academy began publishing the Anales de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Since 1995 the Academy has also published the Noticias de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. The Academy also published monographs.

The Academy played a decisive role in the creation of the National Research Council CONICET established in 1958 and one of his members, the physiologist Bernardo A Houssay (1887-1971), was the first President of this Council.

We quote from [6] about a project the Academy undertook in 2013:-
In mid-2013, the National Academy of Sciences (ANC) and the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (ANCEFN) began to consider the possibility of undertaking a study on the current situation of the sciences that both academies cultivate, emulating the studies published by the Argentine Scientific Society in the 1920s and 1970s. This study was necessary, because although there were countless national statistics on the production and productivity of researchers in the different exact, physical and natural sciences, as well as on the training of human resources, research projects and investment in science and technology, there was no qualitative study available that reflected the scientists' assessment of reality and their vision of the desirable evolution of their disciplines, based on concrete and statistical information taken from reliable databases.

The optimism about the future reflected in some publications of the 1960s, motivated by the great development of scientific activity in the country from the mid-1950s, was regrettably frustrated by political ups and downs. Since the restoration of democracy, continuous development has been achieved, with notable progress in all areas. It is our fervent wish that this continues and that the achievements obtained in basic sciences generate applications that benefit our society.

Visit the society website.

References (show)

  1. Argentinian National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences
    https://www.ancefn.org.ar
  2. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, diccionario.sensagent.com
    http://diccionario.sensagent.com/Academia%20Nacional%20de%20Ciencias%20Exactas,%20F%C3%ADsicas%20y%20Naturales/es-es/
  3. J Babini, Historia de la ciencias argentina (Fondo de Cultura Económica, México, 1949).
  4. V Deulofeu, E E Galloni and L A Santalo, Historia de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales [Argentina], Anales de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales de Buenos Aires 27 (1975), 147-357.
  5. V Deulofeu, E E Galloni and L A Santalo, Historia de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales (Buenos Aires, 1976).
  6. Estado y Pespectivas de las Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales en la Argentina, National Academy of Sciences of Uruguay.
    https://anciu.org.uy/publicaciones/otras-publicaciones-de-interes/item/81-estado-y-pespectivas-de-las-ciencias-exactas-fisicas-y-naturales-en-la-argentina.html
  7. National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (ANCEFN), The Interacademy Partnership.
    https://www.interacademies.org/organization/national-academy-exact-physical-and-natural-sciences-ancefn

Last Updated February 2023