It was in 1959 that the Academy received its current name, and since then it has continued to respond to the changes – and at times profound upheavals – experienced by overseas territories.
For several decades, the Academy’s activities were primarily focused on Africa, with which it traditionally remains closely connected. In recent years, however, its areas of interest have broadened, and the Academy has acquired an international character through collaborations with a wide range of scientific institutions. For instance, it entered into agreements with UNESCO (1994), the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) (Italy, 1998), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (China, 2001), the Academia Nacional de Ciencias (Bolivia, 2000), and so on. In 2018, the RAOS was a co-founder of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), and in 2023, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the Académie nationale des Sciences, Arts et Lettres of Benin (ANSALB). More recently (in 2024), cooperation with the CAS was renewed through a new Memorandum of Cooperation. In addition, the RAOS maintains close ties with other institutions, such as the Académie des Sciences d’Outre-Mer (ASOM, France). The ASOM and the RAOS jointly organize a biennial colloquium on an overseas topic, alternating between Paris and Brussels.
Nonetheless, the Academy does not neglect the importance of historical understanding. It strives to serve as a memory of bygone times, which it approaches through the lens of the present — including the colonial period during which it was founded (1928). The Academy was established by Royal Decree on 4 September 1928 and was solemnly inaugurated on 24 June 1929. From the beginning, it has been under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King. Since 1931, it has had legal personality, allowing it to manage its own assets, as well as the prizes and scholarships established within its framework.
The current statutes were laid down by Royal Decree on 23 May 2019 and stipulate that staff are made available by the Royal Observatory of Belgium, which also provides the operational funding.