German Young Academy member receives Madame de Staël Prize
At its annual General Assembly, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities ALLEA (All European Academies) presented the Madame de Staël Prize to physicist Viola Priesemann, a Board member of the German Young Academy.
She is being honoured with the prize for her scientific achievements in the field of physics, her leadership qualities and her strong commitment to European cooperation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read more here.
German Young Academy climate lecture brings together 4 Young Academies
The German Young Academy organised the online lecture “Which is the future for European climate policy?” in May 2025. The lecture was part of a series and was the first time that speakers from other European Young Academies had been invited. The session was moderated by Linus Mattauch (German YA), and featured speakers from the Young Academy of Sweden, the Italian Young Academy, the Young Academy Ireland, and the German YA, who were joined by a climate researcher and a European policymaker.
60 years of diplomatic relations
In May 2025, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina hosted a symposium to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany.
The event focused on collaborations in science as well as in civil society and the arts. GYA EC member Francesco Maurelli (Constructor University, Germany) as well as Senior Project Officers Jennifer Plaul and Anna-Maria Gramatté attended for the GYA.
Both countries’ Young Academies, the Israel Young Academy and the German Young Academy, were also represented, and listened to a variety of inputs, ranging from greetings by the Leopoldina President, Bettina Rockenbach, and the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt First Minister, Reiner Haseloff, to presentations on the Bauhaus architecture and its influence on Israel.
Comments by Israel’s Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, were followed by speeches on science collaboration by David Harel, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, on the need for science to work together in times of crises, and by Leopoldina Member Ángel Rubio on a current European Research Council Grant on quantum electronics which brings together scientists from both countries.
The future of financing scientific publications
In early June, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina’s “Future of Scientific Publishing” working group held a symposium identifying and discussing the associated organizational, financial, legal and subject-specific challenges associated with Open Access publishing.
GYA member Hanjo Hamann (EBS University of Business and Law, Germany; pictured speaking), took part in a panel discussion on the way forward, while GYA Open Science working group co-lead Stephanie Jurburg (German Centre for Environmental Research, Germany), who was part of a working group at the Leopoldina that published the statement “A New Concept for the Direct Funding and Evaluation of Scientific Journals”, also attended the symposium and closed-door working group meetings.
GYA group co-lead at SAM 2025 Science for Policy Conference
In May 2025, GYA Science Advice working group co-lead Jovana V. Milić (University of Fribourg, Switzerland) participated in a panel discussion at the European Science Advice Mechanism (SAM) conference in Vienna, organized by the International Science Council (ISC) on the subject of “Unlocking science advice: building skills and practices for young scientists in Europe.” This interactive session explored innovative approaches and science-policy mechanisms to connect universities and municipalities, drawing on practical examples to address urban challenges like socio-economic development, inequality, depopulation or overpopulation, digital transformation, and climate change. Speakers came from several Young Academies, the Marie Curie Alumni Association, the IIASA, and the European Commission.
Canadian Young Academy’s annual meeting
In May 2025, the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists at the Royal Society of Canada held its annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, where “The Future of Academia”, in Canada and globally, was discussed.
The event included a keynote on Inclusive Excellence, an update on their “At-Risk and Displaced Artists and Academics (ARDAA)” programme, as well as meetings of the College’s Interdisciplinary Research Groups on “Ask Canada: Toward stronger quantitative social science in Canada”, “Ableism and Disabilities Dialogues (WADD)”, “Research Languages and Cultures as Liminal Spaces and Research Tools”, and “The State of Knowledge of Trans and Non-binary Youth Well being”.
On the second day, representatives from the Young Academy of Japan, the German Young Academy, and the Israel Young Academy joined remotely to discuss collaborative partnerships with other Young Academies.
Malaysia’s Young Academy Colloquium
The 2024 Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) Colloquium “Innovate to Impact: Mission-Oriented Science for a Better Tomorrow,” was held in November 2024, bringing together members and affiliates of the YSN-ASM.
The event featured progress updates from all eight Working Groups of the Young Academy, strategic discussions on network restructuring, and a comprehensive SWOT analysis to align future initiatives with national Science, Technology, Innovation, and Economy (STIE) priorities. Participants also benefited from mentoring sessions with the President and CEO of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), who reaffirmed YSN-ASM’s pivotal role in shaping science policy and driving innovation.
The colloquium concluded with the Steering Committee elections and a gala night celebrating the academy’s leadership transition. YSN-ASM also welcomed its new Chairperson, Chun-Wai Mai, who will lead the network from April 2025 until March 2027, in advancing STIE impact and strengthening Malaysia’s scientific footprint.
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