AGYA Annual Conference 2016 in Halle (Saale)
Eight New AGYA Members Inaugurated at the AGYA Annual Conference in Halle (Saale)
On the kind invitation of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the members of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) met for their Annual Conference in Halle (Saale) from 6 to 9 October 2016. Next to meetings of the different working groups, the AGYA members engaged in a dialogue with researchers of renowned scientific institutions in Halle. Two public keynote lectures highlighted the necessity of scientific outreach through cooperation and policy advice. Eight new AGYA members were formally inaugurated in a festive ceremony.
Twice a year, the AGYA members come together for a general assembly. After their meeting in Doha, Qatar, in March this year, the AGYA members gathered again in Halle (Saale) in Germany to develop further research projects beyond disciplinary boundaries and to expand their collaborative research activities. With eight new members joining the academy, again, new ideas and innovative concepts were developed: During the conference a new working group on “Health & Society” was implemented. Furthermore, in the framework of the idea competition, the most innovative ideas and projects were awarded by the AGYA members. Oliver Korn, newly elected academy member, won the competition with a project on social robots. For the next year, the activities of AGYA will be coordinated by a new Steering Committee: Ahmad Sakhrieh (Arab Co-President), Kalman Graffi (German Co-President), Ahmed Debez, Ahmad El-Guindy, Florian Kohstall and Laila Prager and were elected by the other members.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Jörg Hacker, President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina talked in his keynote lecture about “The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina – Science based advice for society and politics” and shared his valuable experience with the audience. “Views on the Role of International Academic Cooperation in Building Sustainable R&D Capacity in Arab Countries: Experience, Lessons and Outlook” was the topic of the second keynote lecture held by Prof. Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin, General Director of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) & Director General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Both highlighted the necessity of scientific outreach through cooperation and dialogue.
Furthermore, during the conference, AGYA members visited different renowned scientific institutions in Halle and entered into dialogue with their researchers (Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems; Leibniz-Institute of Plant Biochemistry; Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology; Halle Institute for Economic Research).
Date and Venue
6 - 9 October 2016
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
