As presidential elections near in Venezuela, Andrea Small Carmona reports on the legacy of Hugo Chávez's socialist approach to science.

The University of the South Pacific's massive catchment may mean less research cash, but its science helps the region, reports Anne Moorhead.

Facing opposition and funding cuts, what will Barack Obama's science diplomacy efforts look like in the future? Heather Maughan investigates.

As the annual Indian Science Congress marks its centenary this month (3–7 January) the relevance of its present 'inclusive' form is being questioned, reports Archita Bhatta.

Research collaborations between Europe and South-East Asia are increasing, but critics say regional initiatives must start producing practical outcomes.

Science academies across South Asia and Africa are advocating for better science education and gender equity, reports T. V. Padma.

Science and education were poorly served by Myanmar's military junta and are still struggling for attention under recent reforms, writes Mike Ives.

Making access to science a human right is a worthy goal, but how can it be enshrined? And will it really deliver? Jan Piotrowski investigates.

S. Romi Mukherjee outlines human rights-based approaches to science, technology and development, and what they mean for policy and practice.

Deep-sea mining in the Red Sea may bring in jobs for scientists. But how will any benefits be shared and what will it do to biodiversity? Paula Park investigates.

Odenildo Sena discusses Brazilian science policy and shares his views on the main challenges for pushing science in the Amazon region.

Frank Rijsberman speaks to Busani Bafana about his plans for the CGIAR Consortium and the importance of agricultural research investment.

Using mobile phones in education is a growing trend, but there are challenges to making it sustainable, finds Paula Leighton.

How will science and technology fare at the Rio+20 summit? Aisling Irwin looks at scientists' demands and assesses their chances.

Interest is growing in tools and innovations that can ease the workload imposed on women farm workers, report M Sreelata and Naomi Antony.

SciDev.Net speaks to Vaughan Turekian, editor-in-chief of the AAAS's new quarterly publication, Science & Diplomacy, which launched this week.

The state of Lagos has set up an advisory council to guide it towards becoming an innovation hub for West Africa. Emeka Johnkingsley reports.

India dreams of becoming a scientific powerhouse, but challenges lie ahead, including complex bureaucracy.

Yojana Sharma describes various proposals for a new panel to monitor progress towards sustainable development after Rio+20.