March has been a very busy but exciting month for everyone at the GYA as we gear up for the GYA Anniversary Annual General Meeting and International Conference of Young Scientists! We expect more than 150 members and alumni from all over the globe to join us for the multifaceted programme throughout the week. This year, several interesting workshops and events will accompany the Annual General Meeting, from science education outreach for schoolchildren to presentation coaching, science advice and fundraising methods. To say that we’re excited is an understatement!
In non-AGM news, the GYA was formally invited to join the Steering Committee of the World Science Forum (WSF) in February. As members of the WSF Steering Committee, the GYA is tasked with coordinating the participation of young scientists in the five main plenaries during the 4-day forum, and with galvanising other Young Scientist organisations around the world behind this effort. In partnership with the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), we are also organising the young scientist pre-conference workshop as we did at the last WSF in Jordan in 2017. This is an exciting opportunity for the GYA to facilitate intergenerational, intercultural dialogue at the WSF, and we look forward to many years of cooperation.
In closing, for those of you who are coming to the AGM, we look forward to an amazing event! For those not attending, keep on the lookout for updates on our website and social media channels.
In February, the GYA was formally invited to join the Steering Committee of the World Science Forum (WSF). To ensure continuity, it was decided that one of the GYA’s Co-Chairs would be the representative each year, with this year’s honour going to Co-Chair Connie Nshemereirwe (Uganda).
Africa Science Leadership Programme 2019 meets at new
'Future Africa' campus
The Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) brought together its 2019 cohort - excellent researchers from across Africa - from 22-27 March 2019, in one out of a host of workshops leading up to the launch of the new Future Africa campus at the University of Pretoria.
GYA International Conference and Anniversary Annual General Meeting
The GYA Anniversary Annual General Meeting and International Conference of Young Scientists is just around the corner and preparations are in full swing! We are happy to announce that we expect more than 150 members and alumni from all over the globe to join us for the multifaceted programme throughout the week. On the conference theme ‘Re-enlightenment? Truth, reason and science in a global world’, invited speakers with a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds will give short talks to provoke interactive discussions amongst all participants, related broadly to the relationship between science and society, and relevant to the core values of the GYA.
This year, several outstanding workshops and events will accompany the Annual General Meeting, from science education outreach for schoolchildren to presentation coaching, science advice and fundraising methods.
In addition, the GYA working group ‘Science+Art=Peace+Justice’ is preparing an art exhibit to run parallel to the AGM and Conference at the Art Museum Moritzburg, located across the street from the Leopoldina. The exhibit, ‘Finding Affinities – At the Nexus of Art and Science‘, co-organised with ArtSci Nexus, focuses on collaborations between the arts and sciences and will present Arrhythmia, Neural Module, Bacteriality, and the Well-Tempered Brain. Opening concerts, with guest sound artist Miriam Akkermann from the German Young Academy (Die Junge Akademie), will be held on Sunday 28 April and on Monday 29 April (see detailed programme here).
Please also remember to check our website and social media throughout the AGM and share and re-tweet as much as possible!
We look forward to an amazing event!
GloSYS Africa meets in Halle for its Narrative Data Analysis
From 12 to 16 March 2019, the GloSYS Africa narrative team met in a workshop to analyse its qualitative data after a successful data collection phase. The workshop was held in Halle, Germany at the GYA Office. The team was composed of Professor Emerita Lynn McAlpine (the GloSYS Advisor), Abdeslam Badre (GYA member and GloSYS Champion), Fatima Kareem (GloSYS Researcher), and Otilia Chiramba and Matt Keane (Research Assistants).
Led by Lynn McAlpine, the team analysed and interpreted the qualitative data collected during the GloSYS Africa’s interview phase using a narrative data analysis technique.
The workshop provided a unique avenue to present the individual experiences and stories on the opportunities and obstacles to the career development of early career researchers in Africa and Africans in the diaspora.
GloSYS LAC Conceptual Workshop at the AGM
The Global State of Young Scientists (GloSYS) project is a research initiative of the GYA with the major objective of gaining a better understanding of the state of young scientists and scholars around the world. The GYA has had successful experiences with the GloSYS regional project in ASEAN and the nearly-completed GloSYS Africa project. This instigates the need for another detailed investigation into the challenges and motivations of researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries.
A conceptual meeting in preparation for a GloSYS study in the LAC region is scheduled to take place on the morning of 29 April 2019 at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, in Halle, Germany. Furthermore, this meeting will be used to address the LAC region’s National Young Academy movement.
Please email Fatima Kareem, the GloSYS Researcher, with any questions.
Student Assistants join the GYA Office
The GYA Office welcomed two new team members in March: Andre-Maurice Kornow and Kerstin Meenen. Andre will be assisting with database and media issues, while Kerstin will be assisting with AGM organisational efforts.
Kerstin is currently studying International Area Studies at the Martin-Luther University and is interested in intercultural communication and event organisational work.
André is a bachelor’s student of political science/media and communication science at the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. He also plays and coaches for the local basketball team in Halle.
Both Kerstin and André will be present during the AGM in April, so if you are attending, you will have the opportunity to meet them in person.
GYA Office scarcely staffed during Easter holidays
As part of the 2019 Easter holidays in Germany, the GYA Office will be closed on Friday 19 April and Monday 22 April 2019. Additionally, the Office will be scarcely staffed on 17 and 23 April. Apologies for any inconveniences this might cause.
Readings of interest
Atheism is inconsistent with the scientific method, prize winning physicist says
In conversation, the 2019 Templeton Prize winner Marcelo Gleiser does not pull punches on the limits of science, the value of humility and the irrationality of nonbelief. A good read to get ready for this year's AGM.
GYA member and DIY Biology working group Co-Lead Bartlomiej Kolodziejczyk (Australia) recently acted as a co-lead author for the section on ‘Synthetic Biology: Re-engineering the environment’ in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Frontiers publication ‘Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern‘. The current Frontiers issue was launched in early March 2019 at the Fourth meeting of the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives in Nairobi, Kenya .
GYA alumna and former Co-Chair Orakanoke Phanraksa (Thailand) was recently awarded The Global IP Award by The Global Innovation Policy Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This award is given to just five individuals in the field of IP who are leading efforts to bring about positive change in their communities and the world.
GYA Co-Chair Tolu Oni (UK) has been named a member of the new class of 127 World Economic Forum Global Young Leaders.
GYA member Shalini Arya (India) has been named recipient of The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development/Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (CNPQ/TWAS) Postdoctoral Fellowship award. The award will allow her to pursue post-doctoral studies at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil for one year.
GYA members Bartlomiej Kolodziejczyk (Australia), Michael Backes (Namibia) and GYA nominee Caner Deger were all selected to take part in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in June 2019.
GYA member Bart Kolodziejczyk served as panelist during United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation workshop in Bangkok, Thailand
GYA member Bart Kolodziejczyk (Australia) and his colleague Khalisah Zulkefli have both been involved in the Do-it-yourself (DIY) Biology working group, and recently took part in a preparatory workshop meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The workshop was held at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific building in Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 February to 1 March 2019.
German Junge Akademie holds its annual spring meeting
The German Junge Akademie held its 2019 spring meeting at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in March 2019, where they discussed future projects such as an audio archive on the topic of child trauma treatment and a climate lecture series.
GYA members Benjamin Hennig (Iceland), Abdalhadi Alijla (Sweden) and Simon Elsässer (Sweden) participated in the first Baltic and Nordic Young Academies joint meeting in March 2019. The meeting was hosted by the Young Academy of Sweden and aimed at deepening collaboration between young academies from the region, sharing of best practices from the various young academies, and strengthening their role in a wider European and global context.
Call for applications: 4th TWAN Young Affiliates Network International Thematic Workshop
The 4th TYAN International Thematic Workshop and 1st African Symposium on Big Data, Analytics and Machine Intelligence will take place in Akure, Nigeria, from 10 to 14 June 2019.
For details of the workshop and on how to apply, visit their website.
Vietnam Young Academy news bulletin
The Vietnam Young Academy publishes a monthly news bulletin. Their March 2019 issue is available here.
NYA Updates - spread the news!
If you have any news or updates regarding your NYA, please email Anna-Maria.
From 10-14 March 2019, the World Forum for Women in Science took place in Cairo (Egypt) with a focus on ‘Science Diplomacy for Sustainable Development’. The Global Young Academy was present thanks to the participation of its members and alumni from Thailand, Peru, Ghana, Tunisia and Egypt. GYA alumna Amal Amin (Egypt) continues to act as the Conference Chair. In addition, the GYA Science Advice working group presented the panel ‘Catalysing Science Diplomacy for the Global South’ during the workshop on Science Diplomacy at this conference. This panel presented three initiatives in Latin America, Africa and South Asia that are promoting science diplomacy with the aim of empowering young researchers and professionals in the southern hemisphere.
The panel was formed by GYA alumna and past Co-Chair, Orakanoke Phanraksa (Thailand), Science Advice working group Co-Lead Clarissa Rios (Peru) and GYA member Meron Zeleke (Ethiopia), who discussed how crucial the international mechanisms and multi-lateral collaborations are that have been put in place to help train, connect and mobilise young students and professionals around the world.
Call for Open Thematic Sessions at the World Science Forum
As members of the World Science Forum (WSF) Steering Committee, the GYA is tasked with organising the young scientist pre-conference workshop in partnership with other young scientist organisations, and with contributing to facilitating intergenerational intercultural dialogue at the WSF.
This year, the WSF offers the opportunity for any scientific organisation to apply for the thematic sessions to be included into the main WSF programme. Deadline for submission of session proposals is 10 April 2019. More information on the application process is available here.
Registration open for The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) 25th anniversary General Assembly
ALLEA will celebrate its 25th anniversary during its annual General Assembly in Bern, Switzerland. The GYA has been invited to organise a panel at the meeting that will reflect on discussions about the role of science and society that will have taken place at the 2019 GYA AGM.
ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno and EU Director-General for Research and Innovation Jean-Eric Paquet will deliver commemorative speeches inspired by the symposium theme ‘Science and Society in Present-Day Europe’.
The meeting will take place 8 to 10 May 2019 and will be hosted by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. More information is available here.
