The announcement was a highlight for the over 100 attendees at the GYA’s annual meeting. “We are deeply grateful for the support we have had in Germany to develop the Global Young Academy,” said Bernard Slippers, co-chair of the GYA from South Africa, “first from the Volkswagen Foundation and now so generously from the Ministry of Education and Research. We at the GYA applaud Germany’s leadership for the advancement of global science, and young scientists in particular.”

The announcement caps a busy year for the GYA and its German partners. The GYA co-organized a joint symposium on ‘Socio-Ecological novelty: Frontiers in sustainability research’ with the Leopoldina and the South African and German Young Academies, and recently completed an international workshop on the Global State of Young Scientists supported by the VW Foundation and the BMBF.

The funding from the BMBF ensures the continued operation of the GYA office in Berlin. The office plays a central role in coordinating the global activities of GYA members and works to support the activities of national young academies worldwide.

About the GYA

The Global Young Academy, founded in 2010, is the voice of young scientists around the world. Members are chosen for their demonstrated excellence in scientific achievement and commitment to civil society. Currently there are 155 members and 63 alumni from 61 countries. The academy is hosted at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and receives seed funding from the Volkswagen Foundation as well as project support from the IAP: the Global Network of Science Academies, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.