The Young Academy organises activities under five theme headings: content and interdisciplinarity, science policy, science and society, internationalisation, and the arts and sciences.
Every member of The Young Academy commits to organising activities under at least one of these themes. Activities are designed to appeal to different groups, ranging from junior and senior scientists and scholars to politicians and policymakers, and from primary school pupils to the general public.
Interdisciplinarity within science and scholarship
The Young Academy develops opportunities for knowledge-sharing, collaboration and cross-fertilisation. By exploring interfaces with other disciplines, members discover new vantage points and approaches for their own research.
Science policy
The Young Academy engages in discussions of science policy. It takes a constructive approach in these discussions, and its aim is to propose innovative and practical solutions. Its members’ input is inspiring precisely because they are experienced scientists and scholars firmly grounded in research practice.
Collection Science Policy
Science and society
Science is for everyone and is a collective endeavour. In this theme, members of The Young Academy aim to embed science more firmly in society. They do this by engaging in dialogue with people from all walks of life, by working with non-academic partners and by encouraging young children to try their hand at real scientific research.
Members also contribute regularly to national newspapers and magazines and to radio and television programmes. They organise citizen science and educational projects and participate in public science events. The Young Academy has also developed its own activities, for example Lil’ Scientist and ‘Kennis op straat’, to encourage people to play an active role in science.
Internationalisation
The Young Academy is committed to improving the international standing, quality and impact of science and scholarship and their practitioners. The purpose of the Internationalisation theme is to seek connections to various initiatives for young researchers in Europe and worldwide. It is also concerned with making Dutch science more inclusive and attractive to international researchers and with the adoption of international best practices in the Netherlands.
Collection Internationalisation
Education
The emphasis at Dutch universities is often on research, for example when it comes to academic career policy. The Young Academy aims to promote high-quality scientific education and therefore emphasises the importance of education for the practice of science. Academic teaching and research are inextricably linked because teaching is based on the latest research findings, and research is enriched by students’ critical questions and insights. This track therefore raises the profile of teaching and lecturers and draws attention to the way in which we recognise and reward teaching roles. In addition, we are working on initiatives to strengthen the relationship between universities and other educational institutions – from primary schools to universities of applied sciences.
Track chairs: Jeroen Dera and Saskia Peels.
The Arts and sciences
The Arts and Sciences theme, in which the Society of Arts and The Young Academy collaborate, brings scientists and scholars together with artists. Their focus is art/science projects in which equality between the two domains is a crucial principle. The theme is also intended to encourage artists and scientists/scholars to join forces in gathering knowledge and to work together on solutions to the challenges facing society.
Ongoing themes
In addition to the themes and projects, members of The Young Academy are also engaged in activities related to such ongoing themes as Recognition and Rewards, Diversity and Inclusion, Politics and Elections, and Academic and Artistic Freedom.