We kindly thank our funders and sponsors.
09:00 – 18:00
Science leadership workshop for new GYA members
Internal Workshop: Registration required
This 1.5-day workshop aims to give incoming GYA members space to reflect together on how to be leaders in diverse contexts: in their research contexts, in the institutions and communities where they live and work, and in the GYA. The workshop will explore effective and creative problem solving, collective leadership tools, personality differences and preferences in teams and cultural dexterity. The workshop aims to equip new GYA members with curiosity and confidence as they begin their tenure with the GYA and attend their first Annual General Meeting.
Location for workshop: Seminar Room 2, Constructor University
Location for lunch (12:30-13:30): Conference Hall, Constructor University
18:00 – 19:00
Dinner
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
All day
Arrival of GYA members
09:00 – 13:00
Science leadership workshop for new GYA members
Internal Workshop: Registration required
Continued from Day 1 on 28 June 2026
Location: Seminar Room 2, Constructor University
09:00 – 10:30
Organizers preparatory meeting
Location: Conference Room, Constructor University
11:00 – 13:00
GYA Executive Committee in-person meeting
Location: Seminar Room 1, Constructor University
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
Location: Nordmetall College, Constructor University
14:00 – 16:00
Science advice in challenging settings: An interactive workshop for early- to-mid career researchers
Science Advice Workshop -Joint GYA-INGSA Europe event
Drawing on emerging insights from INGSA-Europe’s Science Advice in Challenging Settings work, this interactive workshop invites early- to mid-career researchers to explore how science supports policymaking in practice. Participants will take part in a case-based simulation reflecting real-world advisory challenges.
This on-location-only session is open to all GYA AGM & Conference attendees and will be particularly valuable for EMCRs with experience engaging with policy or curiosity about doing so.
Participation by registration only: Find a detailed workshop description and registration link for IN-PERSON participation here.
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University, Bremen, Germany (on-location only)
Opening Keynote: Sir Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Laureate, President of Constructor University, Professor at National University of Singapore and Manchester University
Speakers
Claire Craig, Durham University, IAS Fellow at Stephenson College; Vice-President INGSA Europe
Rokia Ballo, University College London, Regional Programme Officer INGSA-Europe
Flavia Schlegel, Founder and CEO of Science Governance Partnership, Assistant Director-General INGSA Europe
Matthias Johannsen, Senior Strategy and Policy Officer, All European Academies, Berlin-Brandenburgische Academy of Science
Natisha Dukhi, Human Sciences Research Council, former Co-Chair South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) and GYA Executive Committee Member
Carina Geldhauser, Senior Scientist ETH Zurich; GYA Executive Committee Member
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
16:30 – 18:30
Falling Walls Lab Global Young Academy
The first Falling Walls Lab at a GYA AGM! More information on eligibility and application here: Falling Walls Lab – Annual General Meeting and International Conference
Location: Community Hall, Constructor University
19:00 – 21:00
Welcome Dinner
Location: Constructor University
Tuesday, 30 June 2026 AGM (Internal)
09:00 – 10:30
Official Opening of the 2026 AGM (with remote participation)
Welcome
Inauguration of new members
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 12:30
Executive Committee reporting
Activities Highlights
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 15:30
GYA Activities Fair
At the Activities Fair, posters will again showcase work done and accomplished by the GYA’s current Strategic Themes, project groups and Strategic Groups during the past year. The opening of the Fair will also introduce (new) members to the current GYA Activities Groups structure, to foster future collaboration by members on GYA projects.
Moreover, the Fair will share information about the GYA Committees.
(including coffee / tea break)
Location: ICC Foyer; East Wing Hall, Constructor University
15:30 – 18:30
GYA Strategic Themes meetings
GYA members are invited to come together in the four current Strategic Themes, to discuss future activities and project ideas.
- 15:30-16:15h: Theme 1 “Engaging in foresight & innovation”
- 16:15-17:00h: Theme 2 “Strengthening the science and research ecosystem”
- 17:00-17:45h: Theme 3 “Bridging Science and Society”
- 17:45-18:30h: Theme 4 “Empowering EMCRs”
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
19:00 – 21:00
Dinner and Networking Time
20:00 – 21:30
Fundraising for the GYA
Working General Assembly Session with the Fundraising Committee
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
09:00 – 10:30
Official Conference Opening (Livestream)
Public session
Welcome from the GYA and Constructor University
Yensi Flores Bueso, University College Cork, Ireland; University of Washington in Seattle, USA; Co-Chair of the Global Young Academy
Siok Yee Chan, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Co-Chair of the Global Young Academy.
David S. Rosenblum, Vice President for Research, Constructor University Bremen
Opening Speaker:
Robbert Dijkgraaf, President elect of the International Science Council
Opening Discussion Panel – Strengthening Global Research Collaboration for Science as a Global Public Good
Panelists
Robbert Dijkgraaf, President elect of the International Science Council.
Marileen Dogterom, Co-Chair of the InterAcademy Partnership, Past President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Marcelo Knobel, Executive Director of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS); Interim IAP Coordinator
Abdulsatar Sultan, President of the Arab-German Young Academy (AGYA), Catholic University in Erbil, Head of the Department of Business Management; GYA member
Natisha Dukhi, Human Sciences Research Council, former Co-Chair South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS); GYA Executive Committee member
Kerstin Pahl, Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany; Member of die Junge Akademie, ALLEA Board member
Moderator
Michael Saliba, University of Stuttgart, Director of Photovoltaics, former Co-Chair of the Global Young Academy, Alumnus of die Junge Akademie, Member of Acatech.
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/Ywm2XPC9nWE?feature=share
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 12:30
Panel I – AI Governance for a Shared Future: Science, Policy, and Global Equity (Livestream)
Public session
This session will explore aspects of responsible governance of machine intelligence use in science and research, across world regions and disciplines. The discussion will examine emerging global frameworks, with a focus on ethical considerations, as well as equity and inclusion of underrepresented voices in research.
Speakers:
Fadi Daou, Executive Director, Globethics.
Soribel Feliz, CEO and Founder, Personal Algorithms; AI-Governance Leader
Emilija Stojmenova Duh, Associate Professor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; GYA Member
Moderator:
Luz Milbeth Cumba Garcia, Founder, SciPolicy Global Strategies LLC; GYA Member
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/Ywm2XPC9nWE?feature=share
12:30 – 12:45
Conference photo
12:45 – 14:00
Lunch break
Conference photo
14:00 – 15:30
Panel II – Accelerating Discovery: AI’s Transformative Role in Natural Sciences and Engineering (Livestream)
Public session
In this session, panelists will address how AI is fundamentally reshaping the scientific method and accelerating breakthroughs across the natural sciences and engineering. The discussion will highlight groundbreaking applications in fields like climate science, medicine, and advanced materials, while also addressing critical questions of equity, access, and the new skills required for the next generation of scientists.
Speakers:
Lise Øvreås, President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council.
Dominik Grimm, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf and Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability
Maddalena Rostagno, EMMC task group leader on TG Artificial Intelligence for material design
Rishemjit Kaur, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – Central Scientific Instruments Organisation; INYAS Member
Moderator:
Francesco Maurelli, Constructor University Bremen (Germany, EU), Program Chair for the Robotics and Intelligent Systems Program; GYA Executive Committee Member
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/Ywm2XPC9nWE?feature=share
15:30 – 16:00
Break
16:00 – 17:30
Research Talks
Location: Seminar Room I, II and III, Constructor University
18:00 – 19:00
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
20:00 – 23:00
Gala Dinner
Welcoming Speech
Bettina Rockenbach, President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Location: Kränholm Restaurant (Auf dem Hohen Ufer 35, 28759 Bremen; 1,6 km walking distance from Constructor University campus)
Thursday, 02 July Conference Day (public)
07:00 – 08:30
“Move for Science”
Run/Walk across Constructor University campus, choosing a 2km or a 4km path
Don’t miss the Calisthenics area, outside, in front of the Sports Hall. Accessible 24/7
09:00 – 10:30
Public Dialogue Session – The Hidden Cost of Knowledge: AI, Publishing Surveillance, and the Future of Open Research (Livestream)
Public session
In this session, we will discuss the role of AI in scholarly publishing. We ask whether scholars’ behaviour is being tracked and monetized, and if so, who benefits and who suffers? How does the emergence of AI affect open science: does it lead to greater or lesser equity and reproducibility of scholarly knowledge? This panel aims to have a critical discussion about the effects of AI on scholarly publishing, and explore what the various ecosystem participants can do to ensure scientific communication is open and trustworthy, What steps can all stakeholders take to build a more equitable ecosystem?
Speakers:
Anita de Waard, Vice President of Research Collaborations at Elsevier Research Collaborations Unit
Nick Schockey, SPARC’s Associate Executive Director
Michaela Bilic-Merdes, German Research Foundation
More Speakers forthcoming.
Moderator:
Oscar Xavier Guerrero, Co-President of the Mexican Young Academy, postdoctoral fellow, Cinvestav, Mexico; GYA Member
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/dhJR6ACVTz8?feature=share
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 11:30
Information Session with German Funding Organisations
Public session
Presentations by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
11:30 – 13:00
Panel III – AI at the Core of Disciplinary Foundations in the Humanities and Social Sciences (Livestream)
Public session
This session will explore how AI is pressuring the foundations of different research disciplines. Each panelist will present one disruptive question that AI has raised for their field, such as whether long standing methods remain necessary or how AI reshapes the kinds of questions researchers can ask. The session will use these concrete cases to open a shared discussion about what counts as independent research work, or as empirical evidence, how disciplinary identities may shift, and where AI generated insights can genuinely support or distort scholarly work.
Speakers:
Vusumuzi Maphosa, National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Zimbabwe, ICTS Department Director.
Fatima Roumate, President of the IISR, Expert Group for the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, UNESCO.
Anina Schwarzenbach, Institute of Penal Law and Criminology, University of Bern; GYA member.
Moderator:
Rima-Maria Rahal, Institute of Cognition and Behavior at Vienna University of Economics and Business; GYA-Member.
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/dhJR6ACVTz8?feature=share
13:00 – 13:15
Closing of the Conference (Livestream)
Public session
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
Livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/dhJR6ACVTz8?feature=share
13:15 – 14:30
Lunch
Location: Constructor University
15:00 – 18:00
Excursion
Bremen city. More information to follow.
Location: tba
18:00 – 20:00
Dinner
Location: Ratskeller, Bremen
21:00 – 23:00
Members’ Night
Location: Community Hall
Friday, 03 July 2026 AGM (Internal)
07:00 – 08:30
Rise & Play
At the sports hall of Constructor University, you can play softball and basketball
Don’t miss the Calisthenics area, outside, in front of the Sports Hall. Accessible 24/7
09:00 – 10:30
GYA Committees meetings
09:00-09:45 – Parallel committee meetings:
- Nominations and Opportunities Committee, Communications Committee, Fundraising Committee, Activities Review Committee, Committee on Advancing Equity and Anti-Discrimination
09:45-10:30 – Parallel committee meetings:
- Outputs Review Committee, Constitutional and Legal Committee, Young Academies Committee, Membership Selection Committee
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 13:00
Including GYA Elections announcement, farewell to outgoing GYA members
May run until 13:15 hrs.
Location: Conference Hall, Constructor University
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
Official End of Meeting
13:45 – 14:00
EC-Photoshoot
14:00 – 15:30
EC – EC transition meeting
Location: Seminar Room 2, Constructor University