About BGSI

Our mission is to provide places and programs for emerging scholars who have the will to learn but lack the opportunity. Our efforts lead to building meaningful relationships across borders, bringing to the global stage new science talent to solve problems, and ultimately, catalyzing a global culture of science.

We Believe...

  • Mentoring is a reliable method of creating sustainable excellence in doing science and for developing a culture of innovations 

  • An open and inclusive culture of research and learning is essential for success

  • That mixing of researchers is an important aspect for doing innovative research and for bringing down barriers between peoples and countries

  • Global science through research apprenticeship is an effective strategy for building meaningful global partnerships

  • Providing research opportunity to emerging scholars begets prosperity, which, in turn, leads to the actualization of 'science for peace'

  • That building robust science culture benefits everyone


Our Institute

BGSI partners with institutions of learning, foundations, government, and industry, in the United States and abroad to create centers of research in the foundational sciences that address global problems and build a culture of science.

We work to ensure that scientific research is performed without borders in a meaningful and impactful fashion through global mentoring. The global science model is implemented by recruiting experienced, high-profile researchers in the global science community to serve as research mentors of newly established centers of research, which we term, Global Science Nodes. These nodes are where emerging scholars from all over the world gain unparalleled experience that will launch their scientific careers.

The Berkeley Global Science Institute regularly organizes and hosts international symposia, workshops, and laboratory research programs in order to provide educational and professional development as well as to grow the global science network.

Numbers and statistics do not tell the whole story, but you may be surprised by BGSI's impressive facts and figures from our work around the world.


Omar M. Yaghi

Founding Director

James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

Peidong Yang

Co-Director

S.K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Professor of Energy; Professor of Chemistry, UC Berkeley

Douglas S. Clark

Chair of Advisory Board

College of Chemistry Dean; Gilbert Newton Lewis Professor of Chemistry, UC Berkeley


Our Research

Research carried out in any of our Global Science Nodes is focused on creating new materials whose properties and function solve local, regional, and even global problems. Our materials are applied to outstanding challenges in the fields of environment, energy, health, water, and sustainability. Each Global Science Node has its own, unique research program that is tailored to solve the priorities of their own country or institution. For more information on specific research programs carried out, please visit the webpage of one of our Global Science Nodes.

To support the accessibility and growth of reticular chemistry, we also provide online resources for understanding the underlying structures of reticular materials and databases for naming and numbering all classes of reticular materials.


Contact Us

BG6 Giauque Hall Berkeley, CA 94720

Have a question, inquiry, or want to work with us? Contact:

Prof. Omar M. Yaghi

602 Latimer Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
Email: yaghi@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Phone: 510-643-5507