The International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST) was created in 1956 by the federation of the International Union of History of Science, which was founded in 1947, and the International Union of Philosophy of Science, founded in 1949. The two federating bodies became two divisions of the Union, the Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST) and the Division of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (DLMPS).
The aims of IUHPST are to establish and promote international contacts among historians and philosophers of science and scientists who are interested in the history and foundational problems of their discipline; to collect documents useful for the development of history and philosophy of science; to encourage and sustain research and study of important problems in these fields; and to organize and support international conferences, symposia and other forms of scientific exchange.
Each division has its own membership and organization and each organizes international congresses at four-year intervals, the timing being such that the DHST and the DLMPS international congresses alternate at two-year intervals. During the intermediate years between these congresses, an International Joint Conference of mutual interest is organized by representatives of both Divisions. This provides a valuable link between the two disciplines.
The DHST acts as the parent body to three financially autonomous scientific sections, the International Committee for the History of Technology, the International Committee for History of Metrology and the International Association for Science and Cultural Diversity. It also supports several international commissions, including a Joint Commission of History and Philosophy of Science together with the DLMPS. The DLMPS supports conferences and research in various areas of logic, as well as philosophy of science, and maintains close contacts with international associations in these fields.
At present 49 national members, 13 commissions and 3 independent sections adhere to the DHST, and 38 member committees and 4 commissions to the DLMPS. The two divisions share two of their commissions; the DHST also has 5 Inter-Union Commissions.