Academia Europaea announces election of its new President
The Academy’s Board of Trustees has announced that Professor Marja Makarow has been confirmed as the next President of Academia Europaea, taking over the post from Professor Sierd Cloetingh in October 2021.
Professor Marja Makarow will be the seventh President since AE was established in 1988, and the Academy’s first female President. Professor Makarow will take up the role of President-elect in December 2020 and will then assume the Presidency in October 2021.
Professor Makarow was a member of the SAPEA expert group that produced the recent Evidence Review Report, Making Sense of Science for Policy. The evidence review, which examines best practice in science advice, was coordinated by the Cardiff Hub.
Current President of Academia Europaea, Professor Sierd Cloetingh congratulated Professor Makarow:
“I am very pleased that Professor Marja Makarow has been confirmed by our membership as the next President of Academia Europaea. I know Marja Makarow since many years through her numerous functions in Europe as a champion for science and innovation. I am confident that with her rich background in community service (including ERC and SAPEA) she will contribute significantly to further strengthening of the partnerships of Academia Europaea on a full pan-European scale. The essence of Academia Europaea is the commitment of its members to its mission in a bottom-up spirit. This is certainly the case for our incoming President. I am looking forward to our cooperation in the coming period.”
Professor Ole Petersen, Vice-President of Academia Europaea, and Chair of the Academy’s Search Group for the next President, said,
“I am delighted to welcome Professor Marja Makarow as the next President of our Academy. Marja’s wide experiences at the highest levels and her in-depth knowledge of European science policy will be of very great benefit to AE. Her election follows a rigorous process to identify the best candidate and was followed by a comprehensive series of interviews. I had the pleasure of interacting with Marja in the Working Group that produced the influential SAPEA Evidence Review Report on ‘Making Sense of Science for Policy’ and look forward to future fruitful interactions.”
About Marja Makarow
Professor Marja Makarow has been a member of Academia Europaea, in the section of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, since 2009.
Professor Makarow is a Molecular Cell Biologist and is the Director of Biocenter Finland. She has been Director of Research of the Academy of Finland, Vice-Rector of the University of Helsinki and is a former CEO of the European Science Foundation.
Professor Makarow advised the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation in the European Research Area Board, and the Finnish Government in the Council for Research and Innovation Policy. She has served as President of the European Molecular Biology Conference and delegate of Finland in the council of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and she established the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland.
She is chair of the ERC Starting Grants panel on genomics, genetics, systems biology and bioinformatics, a member of the governing board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and former chair of the jury of one the world’s largest innovation prizes, the Millennium Technology Prize. Marja Makarow is co-author of the Finnish strategy for health research and innovation, chairs the Finnish research infrastructure committee and is delegate of Finland in the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructure. Professor Makarow continues to serve on a number of high-level European committees and on Research and Education institutional boards across Europe. Professor Makarow has received many awards and honours throughout her career including Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur which she received from President Macron in 2018 for her ‘accomplishments in science and science policy at the European level’.