The 2021 Tsukuba Conference took place in September 2021 as a hybrid event with more than 3,000 registered participants from over 60 countries.
In cooperation with the Young Academy of Japan, GYA member and past Executive Committee (EC) member Yoko Shimpuku (Hiroshima University, Japan) facilitated the inclusion of approximately 20 GYA members and other early-career researchers (ECRs) in several planned sessions, including Nobel Laureates sessions and Future Shapers sessions.
GYA Co-Chair Roula Inglesi-Lotz (University of Pretoria, South Africa) provided a Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremony (see video below; Roula’s introduction begins at approximately 56:00), and several other GYA members co-organised plenary and parallel sessions on topics ranging from science diplomacy to strategic foresight.
Concurrent sessions included the following:
“What is Inclusion to a Young Scientist Around the World”, moderated by past Executive Committee (EC) member Nova Ahmed (North South University, Bangladesh).
“Strategic Foresight for the Future Normal of Young Scientists”, moderated by Felix Moronta (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Italy).
“Science diplomacy in action: the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond”, moderated by Paulina Carmona-Mora (University of California-Davis, USA).
“International partnerships with impact in science and higher education”, also moderated by Paulina Carmona-Mora.
For the Future Shaper’s Session, Yoko Shimpuku (Hiroshima University, Japan) moderated, along with Young Academy of Japan representative Kazuyoshi Nishijima. The panel, which discussed science, technology and innovation, included Digital Minister of Taiwan Audrey Tang, Nova Ahmed, Felix Moronta, Paulina Carmona-Mora, and past EC member Robert Lepenies (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany).
Yoko Shimpuku was also the General Moderator of the Nobel Laureates Session, along with session moderators GYA Co-Chair Michael Saliba (University of Stuttgart, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany) and past EC members Almas Taj Awan (Zika Lab Diagnostics, Brazil), and Arya Shalini Subash (Institute of Chemical Technology, India). The session was broken into small groups with one each for the three Nobel Laureates Prof. Kajita, Prof. Novoselov, and Prof. Hiroshi Amano.
Immediate Past Co-Chair Anindita Bhadra (India) was the moderator of the summary session, and panelists included Mahesh Kumar (Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India), Naim Rashid (COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan), Anet Režek Jambrak (Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia), Karen Cloete (University of South Africa), Ramia Al Bakain (The University of Jordan), Chandra Shekhar Sharma (Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, India), Markus J. Prutsch (European Parliament, Austria), Devina Lobine (University of Mauritius), Bahaa Elgendy (St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, United States), Fatemeh Mohammadipanah (University of Tehran, Iran), Clarissa Rios Rojas (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom), Pradeep Kumar (Wits University, South Africa), Matthew C Levy (University of Oxford, Wolfson College, United Kingdom), and Alma Hernández-Mondragón (Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico).
The Tsukuba Conference Declaration was adopted at the closing ceremony, and was read by past GYA EC Members Nova Ahmed and Yoko Shimpuku, as well as member Felix Moronta. They were joined by Tsukuba Mayor Igarashi and Young Academy of Japan member, Yasuhisa Kondo.
The Declaration states that “The Tsukuba Conference 2021 has given us an opportunity to confirm that in order to live in the COVID-19 pandemic it is essential for us to bring everyone together and build trust globally between science and society as a firm foundation for a new normal.”