Sudan Young Academy calls for support
The Sudanese Academy for Young Scientists (SAYS), who are facing unprecedented challenges due to the ongoing crisis in Sudan, recently shared a call for support for Sudanese scholars and academics with the world’s young academies. In the Call, they propose that young academies in particular should join their efforts to raise awareness, facilitate opportunities, and advocate for support mechanisms that can make a real difference in the lives of Sudanese scholars. Their Call suggests that academics and policymakers should 1) open their doors to Sudanese scholars by providing opportunities such as scholarships or research placements; 2) support Science Diplomacy through continued collaboration and scientific exchanges, thereby ensuring that Sudanese researchers remain connected to the global scientific community; and 3) protect and support displaced scholars and students by extending humanitarian aid and academic opportunities to Sudanese students and researchers at risk. Drawing on the fact that a number of Young Academies are already actively involved in supporting scholars at-risk, they suggest that Young Academies collaborate to amplify collective impact. To do so, please get in touch with the President of the Sudanese Academy of Young Scientists, Ali Mohamed Elhassan Ali Abdalla.
Arab-German Young Academy calls for new members
The Arab-Germany Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) has opened its Call for Membership Applications 2025. Interested scholars from Germany and Arab countries from all disciplines can apply for AGYA membership. You can learn more on their dedicated website – the application deadline is 10 April 2025.
Accessibility & Inclusivity in Research Dissemination
Join us on 26 March at 14:00 UTC as GYA member Erin Maloney (University of Ottawa, Canada) introduces practical approaches for enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in research presentations and dissemination. This presentation focuses on identifying barriers faced by diverse audiences and offers methods to create content that accommodates a variety of visual,auditory, and cognitive needs. Topics include designing more accessible slides, using alternative formats and assistive technologies, and optimizing audiovisual components. By considering these practices, researchers can broaden the reach and impact of their work while contributing to equity in knowledge sharing. Join us to discover actionable steps that can help make your knowledge mobilization more inclusive and more impactful.
When: Mar 26, 2025 14:00 UTC.
Register in advance for this meeting here.
Open Science First Fridays talks continue in March
The GYA’s Open Science working group is organising Open Science First Fridays – a series of discussions on current topics impacting Open Science, ranging from ChatGPT to Open Science policies on every first Friday of the month.
Join us on 7 March at 14: 00 UTC:for “What do we lose when scientific journals cease to be global public goods? The alarming adoption of the “APC” business model in Latin America to the detriment of the sustainability of scientific journals,” presented by Arianna Becerril García, Executive Director of Redalyc.
Register here for the meeting.
ALLEA Statement on Threats to Academic Freedom and International Research Collaboration in the United States
Recent restrictions on science and scholarship by the new U.S. Administration’s executive orders freezing billions in federal research funding and censoring research on topics such as climate change and gender has prompted ALLEA to respond with this statement calling for its members, partners, and like-minded organisations, and urging national governments and international institutions in the U.S., Europe and beyond to remain vigilant and strengthen ongoing efforts to safeguard academic freedom and the autonomy of scientific institutions.
If you would like to join the efforts to stand up for Academic Freedom, consider:
- Endorsing the statement on behalf of your organisation by clicking on the link below.
- Sharing the statement with your networks to raise awareness.
- Engaging with national and regional policymakers to reinforce the importance of academic freedom.
Read more and download the Statement here.
Young Academy of Colombia signs Stockholm Charter for Academic Freedom
In February 2025, the Young Academy of Colombia signed the Stockholm Charter for Academic Freedom, becoming the first young academy from Latin America to do so, based on an initiative by Juan Carlos Rocha, a Colombian scientist from the Young Academy of Sweden.
Edwin Reyes, the Chair of the Young Academy of Colombia, emphasised that for the Young Academy it was an honor to support and contribute to the collective efforts in defense of academic freedom. He said that ”academic freedom is essential for scientific progress and social development” and continued to state that ” In Colombia, we face significant challenges, such as ensuring adequate funding for curiosity-driven research and securing stable and transparent academic career paths. Providing access to resources and promoting scholar-led governance are essential steps toward building a more autonomous and resilient academic system. By endorsing the Stockholm Charter, we reaffirm our commitment to these principles and to fostering an inclusive, collegial, and responsible academic environment that upholds the freedoms of teaching, research, and dissemination.”
Young Academies from all over the world are invited to sign the Charter. If your Academy is interested, please contact Jesper Ahlin Marceta at the Young Academy of Sweden.
GYA at Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue and ISC General Assembly
In January 2025, the GYA participated in the Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue and Third General Assembly of the International Science Council, which was hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of Oman, in Muscat, Oman. Over 400 representatives from 132 countries gathered in Oman to discuss science’s role in advancing sustainability and global development.
The GYA was represented by Co-Chair Chandra Shekhar Charma (Indian Institute of Technology, India), Executive Committee member Hiba Baroud (Vanderbilt University, United States), Managing Director Beate Wagner, and Senior Project Officer Anna-Maria Gramatté.
Many more GYA members and alumni attended in various roles, as ISC Fellows, or representing a National Young Academy.
Read more about the event here.
Young Academies Symposium on Strengthening Global Scientific Collaboration
In February 2025, representatives from Young Academies in Israel, South Korea, Poland, Austria, Germany, the GYA, India, and Canada (via zoom) gathered in Berlin for a Young Academies Symposium on “Strengthening Global Scientific Collaboration”, organized by The Israel Young Academy and by the Young Academy of Germany “Die Junge Akademie”.
The GYA was represented by Co-Chair Chandra Shekhar Sharma (Indian Institute of Technology, India) and Executive Committee Member Francesco Maurelli (Constructor University, Germany).
Read more about the event here.
New Young Academy in Pakistan
In December 2024, a new young academy was established in Pakistan, the Pakistan Young Academy. They aim to promote scientific excellence, to foster collaboration among young researchers, and to contribute to evidence-based policy-making in Pakistan and beyond.
A call for their first member cohort will go out soon, and membership is envisaged to be for 5 years. GYA member Muhammad Qasim is the young academy’s first President, with EC member Wasim Sajjad taking on the role as Vice-President, and GYA member Hussain Wahedi acting as the General Secretary. The Pakistan Young Academy’s founding members plan for the new young academy to enhance the visibility and impact of young scientists, while building bridges between academia, industry, and government; and they foresee the young academy to focus on capacity building, interdisciplinary collaboration, and science policy advocacy and science diplomacy in its work.
The GYA is looking forward to working with the new young academy in Pakistan, in addition to renewed links with the previously created National Academy of Young Scientists Pakistan.
German Young Academy exhibition looks to Infinity
As part of their project on “Infinity– Emptiness – Liveliness”, members of the German Young Academy have organized an exhibition at the Hamburg Observatory, Germany, which will run until 31 May 2025. This science and arts journey through the universe asks whether the imagination of infinity can be an essential motor for scientific and sustainable development, and if so, how it could be critically updated with a view to history. It brings together positions and scientific models on imaginations of boundlessness from artistic, mathematical and physical perspectives.
New Chair elected at the Danish YA
The Danish Young Academy have recently elected a new Chair and Co-Chair. Janus Juul Eriksen will serve as the Chair during 2025, with Alexandra Brandt Ryborg Jønsson as his co-chair.
Young Academies Science Advice Structure in Europe publication on EMCRs
YASAS – the Young Academies Science Advice Structure in Europe – have recently launched their latest publication on a “Strategy to increase the involvement of early-and mid-career researchers in SAPEA“. This strategy outlines concrete steps to enhance the representation and engagement of EMCRs in the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism. It also represents a step towards a much broader EDI Strategy for SAPEA, which is currently being developed with the help of the continent’s young academies through YASAS.