The 2019 World Science Forum (WSF), with a focus on ‘Science, Ethics and Responsibility’, will celebrate 20 years of science diplomacy. The meeting brings together thousands of scientists and scholars with policymakers, society, industry and science communicators.
Plenary speakers nominated by young scientist consortium
This year, at least one early to mid-career researcher has been selected to speak in each of the five plenary sessions at the meeting.The high rate of inclusion of the voice of early career researchers at the 2019 World Science Forum was facilitated by the GYA, which joined the steering committee of the WSF in February, represented by Co-Chair Connie Nshemereirwe (Uganda). Selection and nomination of young scientist plenary panelists was coordinated by the GYA, together with the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS), and the International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA).
Selected early-career researcher panelists are:
Plenary Session I: Are There Ethical Limits to What Science Can Achieve or Should Pursue?: Kjersti Lohne, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo
Plenary Session II. The Ethics of Science Funding: Stephanie Annett, Honorary Lecturer and Post Doctorate Research Fellow, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Plenary Session III. The Ethical Conduct of Science: Michael Saliba, Professor, Technical University Darmstadt
Plenary Session IV. Ethics in Science Communication: Wibool Piyawattanametha, Director, Advanced Imaging Research Center, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand & Adjunct Professor, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, USA & Founder, DeepPap, Inc.
Plenary session V. | Parliamentary Plenary Session | 20 years of Science Diplomacy: Simge Davulcu Menket, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry; Junior Co-Chair, International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICORSA)
In addition, GYA members Alexander Kagansky (Russia) and Tyrone Grandison (USA) were invited independently to speak in plenary session I.
Science Leadership Workshop
Around 40 excellent young scientists from around the world have also been selected to take part in a pre-WSF science leadership workshop, co-organized by the Global Young Academy (GYA), InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The workshop will address questions of ethics in science while offering tools to approach problem solving, seeking alternative creative approaches, collaborating and communicating in early-career researchers work and broader engagement.
Launch of “Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Young Academies”
With a growing number of Young Academies worldwide, this declaration commonly reflects on the role and guiding principles of young academies. Coordinated by the GYA, the declaration is a result of in-depth discussions at the Worldwide Meeting of Young Academies held in Vietnam in July 2019. The launch will take place at 12.30 on 20 November in the Kodály Hall.
Following the launch, a young scientists lunch and parallel sessions by partnering organizations will be held. (See the WSF programme for coming updates).