!!!President's page
[{Image src='Marja_029-768x960.jpg' caption='' height='300' alt='Marja Makarow' class='image_left'}]
!!Letter to AE and YAE members and guests from the President Marja Makarow
!February 2023
!Dear members of the Academia Europaea, members of the Young Academy and guest readers,

We start 2023 optimistic that the steady improvement in the post-Covid situation will continue and that the AE will see a return to a full programme of activity, in spite of the geopolitical turmoil that is a deep concern of all of us.
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In __May (10-12, 2023)__, our [HERCuLES|Acad_Main/Activities/HERCulES] group (__H__igher __E__ducation __R__esearch and __C__ulture in __E__uropean __S__ociety) will run an international symposium entitled ”__Publishing in Academia: Digital Challenges__“, organized in collaboration with our longstanding partners - The [Wenner Gren Foundations|https://www.swgc.org/welcome.aspx]. My thanks to the group chair [Lars Engwall|Member/Engwall_Lars] and his co-organisers for continuing this successful partnership.    My thanks also to the Wenner Gren Foundations for their continuing support and co-operation.
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We are pleased to announce that our __Wroclaw Hub__ will hold a Jubilee, open member event, on __19th May__ at [Wroclaw University of Technology|https://pwr.edu.pl/,] – courtesy of our member and Hub Director - [Professor Arkadiusz Wójs|Member/Wójs_Arkadiusz] (TU Rector). The programme features  our  member, the __Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine__ - [Professor Erwin Neher|Member/Neher_Erwin] as the keynote speaker.
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[{Image src='Engwall_Lars.jpg' caption='Professor Lars Engwall' height='240' alt='Lars Engwall_Lars'}]
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[{Image src='Wojs_Arkadiusz_2020.jpg' caption='Professor Arkadiusz Wójs (Photo: B. Sadowski)' height='240' alt='Arkadiusz Wojs'}]
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[{Image src='Neher_Erwin.jpg' caption='Professor Erwin Neher' height='240' alt='Erwin Neher'}]
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AE’s newly elected Vice President and Director of the Munich Hub – [Professor Don Dingwell|Member/Dingwell_Donald], is organising the __2023 AE annual conference__ that will take place __9 – 11 October__, in __Munich__. The conference retains the successful theme of 'Building Bridges'. I will be especially pleased to meet those members from Classes A1, A2 and B who were elected in 2022, and who will be invited to the ‘Welcome to new members session’, alongside all those new members from all classes, who will be elected later this year (2023). Whilst on the theme of welcome, I would like to welcome onto the Board our new Treasurer – [Professor Stephen Evans|Member/Evans_Stephen].
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[{Image src='Dingwell_Donald.jpg' caption='Professor Donald Dingwell' height='240' alt='Donald Dingwell'}]
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[{Image src='Evans_Stephen_finland cropped.jpg' caption='Professor Stephen Evans' height='240' alt='Stephen Evans'}]
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[{Image src='Gulyas_Balazs.jpg' caption='Professor Balázs Gulyás' height='240' alt='Balazs Gulyas'}]
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As our academy grows in numbers of members and impact, it is pleasing when Sections take it upon themselves to innovate and self-organise.   I would like to congratulate [Professor Balázs Gulyás|Member/Gulyás_Balázs], the chair of the [Physiology & Neurosciences Section|Acad_Main/Sections/Physiology_and_neuroscience], for his lead in the creation of a new Section/Class prize – [The Sydney Brenner Prize|Acad_Main/Activities/Awards_and_Prizes/Sydney_Brenner_Medal].  The first [call for nominations|Acad_Main/News2_Archive/Sydney Brenner Medal - Call for nominations] is open until __31st May__. You will be hearing more about this new award and its scope, in the near future. I am also pleased to report that the Board of trustees have approved the continuation of the [Task Force for Environmental Sustainability & Climate|Acad_Main/Activities/Environment_Sustainability]. The core management group will be seeking a wider and active engagement with you – our members, as they work to develop a dynamic programme in the coming months.
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The call for MAE nominations closed on January 31. Nominations are growing year-on-year. Last year, our membership grew by 9%, to 5126, but its diversification is very slow. The share of MAEs representing the ‘Widening’ countries increased from 10% to 10,3%, and that of female members from 17% to 18,3%. So, as this year’s selection process is starting, I wish to point out that the AE has signed, together with some 350 research funding and performing organizations and other academies, the [Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)|https://coara.eu]. According to the principles of CoARA, assessments should be based primarily on qualitative judgement, supported by responsible use of quantitative indicators.
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Finally, I would like to remind members, that the call for nominations for the [2023 Erasmus Medal|Acad_Main/Activities/Awards_and_Prizes/Erasmus_Medal] is still open. You can find the [full details|Acad_Main/News2_Archive/2023 ERASMUS MEDAL] on our website.
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[Marja Makarow|Member/Makarow_Marja]\\
Helsinki\\
February 2023
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