History of AGYA

The Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) started its work in November 2013. The establishment of the academy was preceded by intensive planning and preparation. The innovative vision of the world's first bilateral young academy was supported by

• the Federal Ministers Edelgard Bulmahn and Annette Schavan (BMBF),
• State Secretary Dr. Georg Schütte (BMBF),
• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Günter Stock (BBAW),
• Prof. Dr. Jörg Hacker (Leopoldina),
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Lucas (BBAW, AGYA Honorary Founding member),
• Prof. Dr. Jutta Schnitzer-Ungefug (Leopoldina),
• Prof. Dr. Margaret Wintermantel (DAAD),
• Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Sakr (ASRT, Egypt),
• Prof. Dr. Abdehladi Soudi (AvH, Morocco),
• Prof. Dr. Bilal Orfali (American University of Beirut).

In 2010, Prof. Dr. Verena Lepper and Dr. Kirill Dmitriev, both members of the Junge Akademie at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, launched the founding mission of AGYA as their joint key project in the field of German–Arab cooperation in education and research.

Spearheaded by Prof. Dr Verena Lepper and closely collaborating with cooperation partners in Germany and the Arab world, the founding team succeeded in developing the concept of AGYA and submitting a successful application for funding of the academy to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The Advisory Board was brought together, the administrative office at the BBAW in Berlin was established and the first Arab and German members were elected following a public call.

In November 2013, the first cohort of AGYA members was inaugurated in Doha, Qatar at a festive ceremony hosted by the Qatar Foundation.