Source: UN Statistical Chair Booklet. Photo courtesy of the American Statistical Association (undated).

DID YOU KNOW THIS...
Did you know that 77 years ago, statistician and sociologist Stuart A. Rice (1889-1969) served as president of the International Statistical Institute from 1947 to 1953? He laid the foundation for the United Nations Statistical Commission and United Nations Statistical Office. Stuart Arthur Rice was one of the leading social scientists and statisticians of the United States.

In 1933, he became chairman of the newly created Central Statistical Board in the Bureau of the Budget, which made him de facto chief statistician of the United States until he retired in 1955. Among his successors (albeit with different job titles) were Joseph Duncan and Katherine Wallman, who have both been chairs of the UN Statistical Commission, and Hermann Habermann, who became director of the UN Statistics Division.

Rice, born in Minnesota, attended the University of Washington in Seattle. After graduating from college he was active in local politics. He received his PhD in sociology (1924) at Columbia University and taught at different universities. His major work during that period was in the area of voting studies and survey research methods.

Rice was elected chair of the so-called nuclear session of the Statistical Commission held in May 1946 at Hunter College, New York, which made recommendations for the composition and terms of a permanent commission on statistics and for a statistical organisation within the United Nations.

Mrs. Rice recalls, (Oral History Interview with Mrs. Stuart A. Rice; transcript in Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri), that one day her husband phoned her from New York saying that he had invited the whole Statistical Commission down to D.C. for a party. He asked his wife to make the necessary arrangements and then hung up. One of the problems Mrs. Rice was facing was that the Rice residence was in disarray because it was being painted; a ‘detail’ Rice must have overlooked. Nonetheless, the first Commission reception was a great success.

From 1945 onward, much of Rice’s time and energy went into consultant services to foreign governments, including Japan, Korea and some Western European countries. He also served as president of the International Statistical Institute from 1947 to 1953. Throughout his career Rice promoted collaboration among the world’s statisticians.

Photo: 1st Session (Lake Success, 1947)

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"On every hand there is a new dependence upon statistics and statisticians. There is a crying need for world leadership in this field." - Stuart Rice, ISI President 1947 - 1953

"Capacity Development is a strategic priority of the ISI. We need to redouble our efforts in securing sponsorship, mobilizing our human and intellectual resources, and fostering collaboration with all stakeholders to amplify our impact."

ISI's President Xuming writes in his February 2024 blog, that having Consultative Status with the United Nations means that we take an active role in United Nations discussions on statistics, we are often asked to join working parties, and we attend the annual meeting of the United Nations Statistical Commission.

→ Read the blog here

From his blog: 'On Monday, February 26, the ISI hosted a side event in the UN Headquarters to deliberate on the state of the ISI Academy on Capacity Development.

He further adds that, "this role follows on naturally from the historic activities the ISI has performed in the past. Prior to the establishment of the UN, it was the ISI that compiled the first publications presenting statistics from countries all over the world.

Today, ISI's symbiotic relationship with the United Nations, which comes with Special Consultative Status with the UN, furthers its pursuit of Statistical Science for a Better World.

Contributing to the improvement of Capacity Development.

The International Statistical Institute hosted a successful side event for the 55th UNSC on 25 February 2024. With an attendance of nearly 50 individuals and organizations, we have strengthened ties and will follow up on project proposals and collaborate with new and existing partners.

BACKGROUND
The International Statistical Institute and its Associations have shared knowledge to boost Statistics and Data Science. For over a century, we have organised congresses, established scientific journals, offered courses teaching hard and soft skills, and hosted webinars, bringing people together to learn and improve skills across different sectors and regions worldwide.

RATIONALE
The establishment of the ISI Academy for Capacity Development is outlined in the strategy, which is designed to be adaptable and responsive to evolving opportunities and challenges in the data ecosystem. This living document welcomes feedback and contributions from individual and organizational members of the ISI to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.

IT STARTED IN 2022
Since 2022, the ISI Capacity Development Committee has been actively engaging with key stakeholders, including potential funders, to address critical issues. They're currently crafting a strategy in response to key questions: What are the priority capacity development challenges in the modern data ecosystem? How can we creatively attract more resources for statistical capacity development? What sets the ISI Academy apart in providing capacity development activities? And how can we streamline the organization of the ISI Academy to deliver higher-value activities more efficiently?