The Global Young Academy today issued a position statement that identifies key challenges to achieving a global research culture and proposes concrete measures to confront them in the future.
The GYA recognises that major steps have been taken to promote the development of excellent research and widespread education around the world over the past few decades. However, major imbalances remain in the distribution of education, infrastructure, and support for science across countries around the world. This is most starkly seen in the divide between the developed and the developing world, where the bulk of scientific training, output, and funding flow from the former to the latter.
Building on the experiences of its members, comprising emerging research leaders from 55 countries, the GYA identified inclusivity, capacity building and sustainability as three major challenges. “These are among the most pressing obstacles to creating a global research community,” said GYA co-chair Rees Kassen (Canada), “and young researchers are uniquely positioned to offer innovative solutions.”
To confront these challenges, the GYA makes a number of recommendations, such as the implementation of guidelines for the inclusion of scientists based in developing countries in all major international projects, including those geared to building research infrastructures (such as databases or observatories); transparency in the criteria and practices used to foster career paths in academia; the implementation of gender shares on scientific committees and panels; political and financial support for Open Science; and the promotion of scientific research careers outside academia, thus ensuring better employability for young researchers and increased interaction between science and society.