4th International Conference of Young Scientists and GYA Annual General Meeting 2014

The Fourth International Conference of Young Scientists and GYA Annual General Meeting took place at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the Universidad de Chile and Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago de Chile, Chile, from 21 to 25 May 2014. The theme of this year’s Conference was ‘Natural Resources in a Finite World’.

Food supply, water scarcity, renewable energy generation, sustainable mining exploitation, and human development in a technological world, are among the most prominent challenges currently faced by humanity. At the same time, these topics, among others related to sustainability, provide an unprecedented opportunity to connect academic research, widely understood, to policy makers and the private sector. It is indeed impossible to encapsulate the research needed to successfully carry out programs and agreements for sustainable development in a single, or a group, of academic disciplines. Everyone’s contribution, from pure scientists, to experimentalists, from social scientists, to humanities academicians, is required for such a lofty goal. The management of natural resources and improving the human condition are cornerstones for sustainable development that play a particularly relevant role in the developing world. Focusing on these two broad themes during the GYA Conference in Santiago called the attention of excellent young academics to high profile and fundamental research questions in order to connect with decision makers around the globe.

105 scientists and scholars attended the conference, including 78 members of the Global Young Academy from 34 countries, a group of Chilean Young Scientists and distinguished speakers and participants, such as Jorge Sequeira (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO), Angélica Bucio (Communications Officer of the International Council for Science, Regional Office for Latin America and Carribean ICSU ROLAC), Juan Asenjo (Chilean Academy of Sciences), Howard Alper (Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council) and Jorge Allende (Inter-Academy Partnership).

More information can be found in a short summary. Visual impressions can be found on Flickr.

All photos © by Florian Wiencek / Global Young Academy

We gratefully acknowledge the following organizations for their support of the meeting:

Supporting Organizers:

Financial Support: