10 3 / 2023 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
4TH GERMAN-BRAZILIAN WORKSHOP ON “ WATER AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ”
Climate change is exacerbating the unequal distribution of water and putting pressure on the global food system . Faced with a growing world population , aquaculture is seen as a promising solution for ensuring food security . But aquaculture needs to be sustainable for this . Young scientists from South America and Europe discussed how this can be achieved at a workshop at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ( IGB ) from 16 to 19 October , organised by the Academia Brasileira de Ciencias ( ABC ) and Leopoldina . The highlight was the panel discussion at the Brazilian Embassy with representatives of the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture , the Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO , Iglo Deutschland , the Aqua culture Stewardship Council , and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission . The fourth event in the German-Brazilian series “ Water and Regional Development ” was coordinated by Klement Tockner ML and Werner Kloas for Leopoldina , and Adalberto Val and Maria Célia Portella for the ABC .
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Scientific diplomacy with and for Southeastern Europe
Accelerating the integration of Western Balkan countries
The scientific systems of the Western Balkan countries are in a period of transition . They now need support to accelerate their integration into the European Research Area and the European Education Area . The answer is a partnership for excellence and also a partnership for Europe .
What kinds of transformation and advances are taking place in the higher education , research and innovation communities of the Balkan countries and Southeastern Europe ? How can excellence be achieved in the Balkans through meaningful instruments and European alliances ? How can we foster a culture of excellence ? Which concepts for international mobility and cooperation are suitable for Southeastern Europe ? How can the academic dias pora help to shape the development of their countries of origin ?
These were the key issues discussed at the 7th Conference of National Stakeholders of the Education and Science Systems as part of the Berlin Process for the Western Balkans . About 60 leaders of academies , universities and research institutes met at the Academy of Sciences of Albania in Tirana on 19 and 20 September . Their decisions and recommendations were channelled into the 9th Western Balkans Summit of Heads of State and Government on 16 October in Tirana / Albania .
During the conference Federica Mogherini , Rector of the College of Europe Bruges / Belgium and Vice President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019 , stressed : “ We are seeing a reinterpretation of basic concepts : EU enlargement , integration , mobility , cohesion , resilience . We need to educate Europe ’ s future generations .”
This year , Albania is chairing the Berlin Process for the Western Balkans , which was set up as an intergovernmental initiative in 2014 . Since 2015 the Process has included a platform for science , education and innovation , which is coordinated by Leopoldina .
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Berlin Process
7th Bilateral Symposium with Korean Academy
Focus on brain research
The Symposium “ Advances in Brain
Research ” was organised to gether with the Korean Academy of Science and Technology ( KAST ) at Leopoldina head office in Halle ( Saale )/ Germany on 28 / 29 June .
23 scientists from South Korea and Germany discussed current trends and the latest results of brain research . In addition to basic research , modern neuroscientific technology and new research approaches such as brain organoids were discussed . These will allow progress in decoding the human brain and open up new ways of understanding and treating strokes , brain tumours , neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases .
Hans R . Schöler ML , Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine , Münster , and Bong-Kiun Kaang , Seoul National University , were responsible for the academic coordination of the 7th Bilateral Symposium of Leopoldina and KAST
KAST is one of Leopoldina ’ s strategic partner academies in Asia . A bilateral agreement has been in place since 2012 and has been extended and expanded several times . In future , the cooperation will focus on the challenges of the energy transition .
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