The Young Academy of Europe held its 2026 Annual General Meeting in Budapest, bringing together 18 members in person and more than 30 online. Thanks to the hybrid format, members across Europe could take part in the Academy’s governance and discussions whether or not they were able to travel.

A highlight was welcoming our newest members, several of whom received their membership certificates in person. Their enthusiasm was evident throughout, and many have already said they want to be directly involved in the Academy’s activities. We look forward to bringing this energy into YAE’s work over the coming year.

Discussions were wide-ranging and at times intense, covering both scientific questions and science policy. This reflects the Academy’s dual role as a community of researchers and as a voice for early- and mid-career scientists in European research policy.

Alongside the formal programme, members also visited the Hungarian Parliament building, one of Budapest’s most striking landmarks on the banks of the Danube. The visit was a memorable chance to connect informally and to reflect on the relationship between science and democratic institutions, a theme close to the Academy’s heart.

The YAE-organised sessions at BB2026 were very well received. Among them was the panel discussion AI and the Future of Science: Opportunities, Responsibilities and Risks, chaired by Katalin Solymosi FYAE. The panellists were, Ting Shi FYAE (University of Edinburgh), Deniz Sarikaya FYAE (Universität zu Lübeck) and Csaba Cserép FYAE (HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine). Their discussion carried on well beyond the session itself.

YAE members also contributed widely across the wider BB2026 programme. Anna Kuppuswamy FYAE, Chair of YAE, gave a plenary lecture in the Social Sciences class, Where does fatigue come from? Mind, body or brain, or the boundary between them? Katalin Solymosi FYAE spoke on A Lost Decade? Assessing the State of the Global Ecological Emergency.

We were delighted to hear the André Mischke YAE Prize lecture from this year’s winner, Ieva Plikusiene. It was a fitting celebration of the prize’s commitment to research excellence combined with engagement in science policy.

The Board election was strongly contested, with five candidates standing for two positions. We thank all the candidates for putting themselves forward, and we congratulate Rafał Matuszewski and Ágnes Bánréti on their election to the Board.

Our sincere thanks go to our Budapest hosts, the local organisers, and everyone who joined us in person or online.

Read about our recent activities, events and latest developments in our September 2022 Newsletter. The most important item is our upcoming Annual General Meeting in Barcelona, which includes an exciting programme with a Science Communication workshop and the YAE 10th anniversary dinner! Come join us by registering here.

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This year’s AGM will be held in Barcelona, at the Dr Aiguader Building, University Pompeu Fabra (for more details about the venue, travelling and accomodation see below) and run from 12.30 on Wednesday the 15th of October until 13.00 on Thursday the 16th of October. Registration is €125, and covers all meals including the AGM dinner.

In addition to updates on the YAEs activities and organisation since the last AGM, and electing new board members, we use the AGM as an opportunity for members to network and hear about each-other’s work, to explore ways for the YAE to contribute to European science-policy, and to develop skills in leading innovative research groups. This year we will (i) launch the new Inquiry webinar series , this year on AI; (ii) explore how to develop ERC Synergy Grants; and (iii) have a fieldtrip to a museum on the theme of History of Science. 

The AGM is integrated with Academia Europaea’s annual ‘Building Bridges’ conference. You can learn more about Building Bridges, and register (there is separate registration) here. Building Bridges runs from Thursday 16th to Friday 17th October, and YAE members are encouraged to attend this conference after the AGM is over, as it collects together lectures from some of the leading scholars in Europe today. On Friday afternoon, at Building Bridges, the YAE will award the André Mischka Prize, and hold a panel discussion on trust in science, at Building Bridges.

AGM Programme

Start – End	Activity	Speakers/Moderator
Wednesday 15th October 2025
12.30-13.30	YAE AGM opening lunch	Meeting opened by Anna Kuppuswamy (Vice Chair)
13.30-14.30	Welcome and summary of the year. 1. Welcome & update activities 2024/2025 2. Welcome to new FYAEs 3. Treasurers report	Scott Bremer (Chair)  Wolfgang Tress (Treasurer)
14.30-14.45	Coffee Break
14.45-15.45	Board elections 1. Pitches of candidates running for elections 2. Electronic voting	Marc Yeste (Secretary)
15.45-16.00	Coffee break
16.00-17.00	Research talks by new members Three talks from new YAE members: Klaas-Jan Tielrooij Joeri Tijdink SH scholar TBC	Nicoletta Liguori (Selection Committee PE Chair)
17.00-17.20	Results of the YAE elections	Marc Yeste (Secretary)
17.20-18.30	Aperitif
19.30-21.30	AGM dinner

Start – End	Activity	Speakers/Moderator
Thursday 16th October 2025
09.00-09.45	Launching the Inquiry webinar series An opening talk for this years series on the topic of AI, opened by YAE member Dr. Emma Gordon.	Mona Simion (Comm. Chair)
09.45-10.45	What is an ERC Synergy Grant, and how to apply? A presentation by ERC Vice-president Prof. Eystein Jensen and ERC Synergy advisor Giuliano Scalzi, followed by workshopping a synergy idea put forward by YAE members.	Anna Kuppuswamy (vice chair)
10.45-13.00	Field trip and lunch A guided tour of historic academic texts at CRAI Biblioteca de Fons Antic, followed by a discussion on how interdisciplinarity and science-art collaboration was understood in the past.	Borja Franco (Comm. chair)

The venue:
Day 1: Faculty of Medicine, University Pompeu Fabra.  
Edifici Dr. Aiguader (campus del Mar) 
Doctor Aiguader, 80 
08003 Barcelona
Room: 61.129

Day 2: Seminario de la Sección de Prehistoria y Arqueología” (First floor, Facultat de Geografía e Història, Carrer de Montalegre, 6)

More precise instruction on reaching the venue will follow.

The AGM dinner: Ca La Nuri restaurant (https://restaurantcalanuri.com/en/)

Hotels: The local organising committee has suggested the following hotels as being well located relative to the AGM and Building Bridges:

Hotel Ciutadella: https://www.hotelciutadellabarcelona.com/EN/home.html 
Resa Inn: https://www.resainn.com/
Hotel Ibis Bogatell: Hotel Ibis Bogatell
Residencia Universitaria Resa Campus del Mar: https://resa.es/residencias/barcelona/campus-mar/

Emergency contacts: 
Scott Bremer (Chair): scott.bremer@uib.no / +47 48 34 75 84 
Marc Yeste (Secretary): marc.yeste@udg.edu 

In preparation for the upcoming Open Science conference in Amsterdam, the YAE has joined forces with other Young Academies in Europe as well as the Global Young Academy, to prepare statements on both Open Science and Open Data. These statements will be officially presented to the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Carlos Moedas, at the conference on 4th April 2016. The statements can be found here and here.

1st April 2016. For further information please contact info@yacadeuro.org