The landscape of European National Young Academies (ENYAs) is rapidly evolving, with new alliances for connecting young scientists and scholars being established and expanded throughout Europe. ALLEA welcomes these developments and acknowledges that combining efforts in shaping the European research ecosystem is crucial for researchers of all generations to flourish.

Antonio Loprieno, President of ALLEA, already delivered a talk at the (online) ENYA annual conference in 2020, and ALLEA and the ENYAs now are seeking to further intensify their collaboration. After two years of online meetings, delegates from both networks will get together at the Academy Palace in Brussels on 11 May, as part of the ALLEA General Assembly and the ENYA Annual Meeting.

Throughout Europe, we can find examples of national Young Academies who have quickly realised their potential and can in many ways be considered role models in guiding the way with innovative formats and ideas. In ALLEA we look forward to an open exchange on how we can work together towards a robust and dynamic academic community.” says Antonio Loprieno.

Shared programme parts will include networking opportunities and round-table discussions on topics of international and intergenerational interest. Together, the participants will explore the role of academies in supporting a fair and balanced assessment of research careers, the transition towards a climate sustainable academic system, and diversity and inclusivity of science advice mechanisms, among others.

The parallel meeting of ALLEA and the ENYAs means that a large and diverse group of representatives of the European scientific community will be gathered in Brussels.”, says Sarah Verhulst (professor Information Technology, Ghent University and internationalisation board member of the Young Academy of Belgium), “This makes it an excellent opportunity to learn from each other and to set up a dialogue on topics that concern us both as academics and engaged citizens.

In recent years, ALLEA has intensified its collaboration with young academies. For instance, in 2019, ALLEA launched a strategic partnership with the Global Young Academy, which started with joint projects on research assessment models and the future of peer review. In 2020, ALLEA accepted its first young academy, Die Junge Akademie (the German Young Academy), which is currently leading the project ‘Climate Sustainability in the Academic System’.