1 / 2024 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 11
Symposium
Human Rights and Academic Freedom
For a long time , the suppression of academic freedom seemed to be a topic more likely to affect far-off countries . Yet restrictions on and risks to academic freedom are now also increasingly visible in Germany . These current developments and their connection to human rights are at the centre of the 10th symposium series “ Human Rights and Science ” on 20 and 21 March 2024 in Berlin / Germany .
The event is being organised by the human rights committees of both the Leopoldina and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( DNVA ). Renowned speakers from Germany and Norway will shed light on the topic from various perspectives during the public part of the symposium . The podium discussion “ Who owns academia ?” will address the relationship between political power and academic freedom .
In the invitation-only part of the event , representatives of European academies will report on their “ Human Rights and Science ” activities . The symposium will be coordinated by experts Hans Petter Graver , Chair of the Human Rights Committee ( HRC ) of the DNVA , and Jutta Gärtner ML , Chair of the Leopoldina ‘ s HRC . ■ TP
10th Symposium “ Human Rights and Science ”
ZukunftsWissen award
Early Career Award has a new form
As of 2024 , the new “ ZukunftsWissen – The Leopoldina and Commerz bank- Stiftung Early Career Award ” will be presented annually to junior scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to the topic of each Leopoldina Annual Assembly and who have addressed future challenges in their research .
The relevance to the Annual Assembly – this year on the “ Origin and Start of Life ” – can be broad and cover all disciplines represented by the Leopoldina . Interdisciplinary research is particularly welcome . Endowed with 50,000 euros , the award will be presented at the Annual Assembly , where the award winner is expected to give a speech . Members of the Leopoldina can suggest people who completed their doctorate ten years ago at the most . Nominations in German or English are possible up until 20 March . The award replaces the “ Early Career Award ”, for which the Commerzbank-Stiftung provided 30,000 euros of prize money to the Leopoldina from 2010 to 2022 .
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“ ZukunftsWissen ” award
Video documentation
Symposium “ Energy Solutions ”
In October 2023 , the science academies of the USA , Israel and Germany held a trilateral symposium on the transformation of the energy sector in Germany . Around 30 experts discussed the state of research in science and industry , energy transition strategy , and the market-oriented scaling of innovations for a climate-neutral energy sector .
The presentations and discussions , including with Jürgen Janek ML ( University of Gießen / Germany ), Doron Aurbach ( Bar-Ilan University / Israel ) and Valerie Karplus ( Carnegie Mellon University / USA ) are now available . ■ LB
Video documentation “ Energy Solutions ”
NEW CLASS I MEMBERS – MATHEMATICS , NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
In February , the members elected to Class I – Mathematics , Natural Sciences and Engineering in 2022 and 2023 received their certificates . In the image : Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt / Germany Reiner Haseloff and Leopoldina President Gerald Haug ML ( both centre ) with the new members ( from left to right ): Guy Bertrand ML , Jan Esper ML , Anna Wienhard ML , Daniel Rückert ML , Martina Angela Sasse ML , Ángel Rubio ML , Alain-Sol Sznitman ML , Thomas Schmitz-Rode ML , Anke Weidenkaff ML , Matthias Wessling ML , Annette Zippelius ML , Gernot Heiser ML and Rainer Blatt ML .
Image : Markus Scholz | Leopoldina