On 5 June, ten early career scientists and artists were admitted to Die Junge Akademie. This signals the start of a five-year membership for them, during which they will be able to work and do research together with 40 other members in interdisciplinary projects.

Ten members have joined the alumnae and alumni community. For the second time running, the traditional annual celebration could not take place due to the pandemic, making for an unusual but in no way less exciting start to life in Die Junge Akademie for the new members. Paper set a new stage for the event and different print formats were used, such as a flipbook or “wimmelbook” hidden picture book. Just as festive, the new members were introduced to those who would have otherwise been invited, and farewell was said to the departing members in a creative manner.

“A very warm welcome goes to our new members. With their excellent subject-matter expertise from a wide range of areas, they will without doubt add to and promote interdisciplinary discourse,” explains Anna Lisa Ahlers, political scientist/sinologist and one of the two chairpersons of this year’s Co-opt Committee.

“We are looking forward to the ten new members, to their ideas and to working with them, which we will hopefully be able do face-to-face again in future,” states Michael Saliba, physicist and also chairperson of the Co-opt Committee.

The objective of Die Junge Akademie is to give young scientists and artists the opportunity, alongside their own research, to actively and creatively help shape the dialogue between science and society. In order to become a member, they need to have produced an outstanding doctorate or an outstanding artistic work. The final examination of this work should have taken place within the last three to seven years (taking into consideration periods of parental and care leave). In addition, at least one further excellent scientific work or evidence of being established as an artist are expected. The applicants should also enjoy working on interdisciplinary projects at the interface between science, art, society and politics.

This year it was the turn of Die Junge Akademie to co-opt the new members. In 2022, it will again be the turn of the parent academies of Die Junge Akademie, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Detailed information on all of the members of Die Junge Akademie