The Fourth Worldwide Meeting of Young Academies takes place in Da Nang, Vietnam, from 31 July – 2 August 2019, hosted by the Vietnam Young Academy (VYA) and co-organised by the Global Young Academy (GYA). Representatives from more than 30 young academies from all over the globe will attend, with the GYA being represented by Co-Chair Koen Vermeir (France) and Managing Director Beate Wagner (Germany).
The meeting will explore the theme “Young Academies for Promoting Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”.
Flavia Schlegel, the Special Envoy for Science in Global Policy at the International Science Council (ISC), will open the meeting with a keynote on the role of young academies in providing science advice as intermediaries between the research community and policy-makers nationally and globally.
This will set the tone for the following discussions on how young academies can better engage in the implementation and development of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discussions will build on the 2017 young academies statement on the UN SDGs and will also draw on the InterAcademy Partnership’s recent report on Improving Scientific Input to Global Policymaking, which lists specific recommendations for action by young academies.
Meeting participants will also exchange best practices on science advice, outreach and communication, as well as discuss internal matters, e.g. membership selection criteria and procedures, fundraising strategies, engaging with diaspora young scientists, and how to deal with declining levels of academic freedom and trust in science. Existing activities for at-risk and refugee scholars will also be highlighted, likely resulting in additional future collaborations.
The Programme Organising Committee for the meeting included representatives from a number of young academies, thereby ensuring that the meeting agenda reflects the global nature of these biannual meetings.
For more information on the meeting, see the meeting site or contact Anna-Maria at the GYA Office, or follow on Twitter #WWMYA2019.
