NEWS

The potential and challenges of genome editing for crop improvement lively discussed in Brussels

The science behind genome editing, its regulation and its impact on society– those were only few of the topics discussed on 7 and 8 November in Brussels. The symposium 'Genome Editing for Crop Improvement', organised by ALLEA and the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) brought together eminent speakers and stakeholders to discuss how to harness the benefits of genome editing while ensuring a wide-spread acceptance of the new technology in society.

Academic institutions need to adapt IPR strategies to fulfil their role in Europe’s innovation ecosystem

ALLEA published the statement ‘The Need for Intellectual Property Rights Strategies at Academic Institutions’ today. The publication formulates recommendations both to scientific organisations and European and national legislators and highlights the importance of managing intangible assets with due consideration of intellectual property rights (IPR).

Science Academies need to be less self-centred and more open to society, says ALLEA President

The conference 'The Role of Academies in Sustaining European Knowledge Societies in Time of Crisis' took place at the Academy of Sciences of Turin on 11-12 November. ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno participated as speaker and argued for Academies to embrace the social dimension of knolwedge and science, including science communications and open access.

The Future of Research: Assessing the impact of Plan S

Impacts of Plan S on researchers, research-intensive institutions, societies and publishers were debated at an international symposium organised by Academia Europea Cardiff Knowledge Hub and KU Leuven Libraries. The event took place in Leuven on 5 and 6 November. An audience of around 130 gathered at the historic Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. ALLEA was represented by its Board Member Luke Drury, who underlined some of the key points introduced by the ALLEA statement on Plan S.

Save the Date: 2020 ALLEA General Assembly

We are happy to announce that the UK Member Academies of ALLEA will host the next General Assembly in London on 3-4 June 2020. Save the date and do not miss the updates of the programme and the event by following us on our social media, our newsletter and this website.

Europe: From Old Narratives to Today’s Politics

ALLEA and the Polish Academy of Sciences convened the conference ‘Europe on Test: The Onus of the Past – and the Necessities of the Future’ at the Staszic Palace in Warsaw on 11 October 2019. Local as well as international scholars and experts addressed how different collective memories in European societies impact today’s politics in Europe.

ALLEA discusses Plan S at the Open Science Fair 2019

The 2019 Open Science Fair in Porto held on 16 to 18 September, featured a panel discussion on Plan S, the open access plan initiated by coalition of European funders to make all publicly funded-research open access from 2021.

The Future of Science Advice in Europe

SAPEA is organising “The Future of Science Advice in Europe”, a series of panel discussions and workshops to be held in Helsinki on 13 November. Scholars and practitioners will discuss current experiences and models for providing expertise to policymakers in Europe.

150th Anniversary of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) celebrated its 150th anniversary on 11-13 October in Sofia. ALLEA, represented by its Vice-President Graham Caie (Royal Society of Edinburgh), joined the commemorative event, which was attended by prominent national and international policy and research-related representatives.

European Academies call for Excellence, Fairness and Openness in the Implementation of Horizon Europe

ALLEA submitted a statement to the European Commission calling for a strong and well-resourced framework programme guided by principles of excellence, fairness and openness, and making concrete suggestions on their implementation in the current draft of the Commission’s Strategic Plan on Horizon Europe.

In Memoriam: Professor Giancarlo Vecchio

It is with great sadness that we inform about the passing of long-standing member and immediate past chair of ALLEA’s Science Education Working Group, Professor Giancarlo Vecchio, who deceased on 1 October 2019 in Naples. Professor Vecchio, representing the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, has contributed to the activities in the Working Group over many years, and has been highly recognised by his colleagues

World Science Forum 2019 – Budapest

Through the ALLEA Permanent Working Group Science and Ethics, as well as its recent publication “The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity”, ALLEA has reaffirmed its commitment to work on research integrity and ethics. To that end, we would like to highlight this year’s World Science Forum that takes place under the theme “Science, Ethics and Responsibility”.

Survey on Climate Education Activities in Europe

One key mission of the ALLEA Working Group Science Education is to support educational activities in science at all levels. A timely scientific topic that begs our attention as societies and individuals is climate change.

ALLEA Awarded H2020 Project on Public Trust in Expertise

PEriTiA (Policy, Expertise and Trust in Action) will explore the conditions under which people trust science and expertise used by governments and other societal decision-makers to inform their policies. The multi-disciplinary Horizon 2020-funded project will be coordinated by University College Dublin (UCD) and co-led by ALLEA.

Introducing ALLEA’s New Image and Website

ALLEA is thrilled to announce the official launching of its brand-new corporate image which, we feel, will better reflect ALLEA’s evolution, values and vision for the future as outlined in ALLEA’s Strategic Priorities 2019-2024.