The members alone determine the work of Die Junge Akademie. They define thematic focus points and methods and select the appropriate event and publication formats. Thus the fundamental concept of Die Junge Akademie is its aim to constantly reanimate central principles rather than to continually achieve new objectives. This means that the members of Die Junge Akademie can further develop the academy’s work, adjusting it to the changing interests, needs and problems of both their members and the academic system. The joy of intellectual work, of scientific exchange, of tackling unsolved problems and of trying new things and applying new perspectives are all part of their work.

For this purpose every member, each elected for five years, has access to a small personal budget and to the general research budget. Members can use this money to implement joint, interdisciplinary projects such as workshops, podium discussions or publications. In addition to the possibilities presented to them by networking, financial support and advantages in terms of the compatibility of work and family life, members benefit from involvement in Die Junge Akademie in another, perhaps less obvious, yet no less definitive manner: Die Junge Akademie offers a safe space for free exchange, a testing ground where science is explored up close, risky and unusual project formats are tested, and real interdisciplinary work is practised.

Maintaining open, transparent and trusting communication with one another is crucial for the success of Die Junge Akademie. More specifically, this means that content is discussed very openly while always taking care to communicate in a respectful and trusting manner. Discrimination of any form is not welcome. It is of utmost importance to Die Junge Akademie that every member is always treated equally by everyone else and that every opinion is valued.

Members of Die Junge Akademie do their utmost to act in a climate-friendly manner. This is why, since 2019, members have had the option of voluntarily committing to avoid short-haul flights on journeys under 1,000 km which can be accomplished in fewer than eight hours using other means of transport when travelling for their work for Die Junge Akademie. This voluntary commitment is part of the statement “Refund real travel costs” in the list of statements.

He had the draft work incorporated into the preparations of the BBAW’s 300th anniversary celebration and presented the idea, with the help of the then Leopoldina President Benno Partheier, to relevant institutions. When it was launched on 30 June 2000, Die Junge Akademie was initially planned to last 10 years as a joint project of the BBAW and the Leopoldina and was established at the BBAW. The Federal Minister for Education and Research at the time, Edelgard Bulmahn, took on the patronage. Start-up funding of 1.2 million Deutschmarks was provided by the Volkswagen Foundation, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) approved initial funds for five years. Die Junge Akademie was evaluated as a success in 2007, in 2010 there was a positive decision regarding its continuance, and in 2011 Die Junge Akademie was institutionalised. Since then it has been a permanent part of the Leopoldina budget. Today Die Junge Akademie is funded 90 percent by the BMBF, with the State of Saxony-Anhalt and the BBAW each contributing a further 5 percent. While it might have still been cautiously referred to as an “experiment” when it was opened in 2000 by Dieter Simon, Die Junge Akademie is considered a model of success today. Since its establishment, more than 30 Young Academies have been founded worldwide. Die Junge Akademie, the original German Young Academy, set the example for these and was on hand to provide advice. It thus maintains the tradition of scientific academies and teaching associations in that it makes them more accessible to the younger generation.