The event marked an important milestone in the expansion of INGSA, a global network dedicated to sharing knowledge and best practice in science advice.
A ceremony was held on 12th April 2025, at Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), Jordan, to confer Honorary Distinguished Professorships upon three Members of Academia Europaea.
The recipients were:
Professor Ole Petersen CBE FRS MAE – Cardiff University, United Kingdom
Professor Peter Hegyi MAE – Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Professor Shahrokh Shariat MAE – Medical University of Vienna, Austria
The awards were presented during the First International Honorary Professors Symposium hosted by AAU, at which each of the three honourees also delivered an Inaugural Lecture. The ceremony was attended by senior members of the AAU leadership, including Professor Sari Hamdan, President of the University, and Professor Ahmad Hamdan, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry. The event celebrated not only the individual achievements of the honoured professors but also the strengthening of academic ties between Jordan and leading European institutions.
In early March 2025, Nobel laureates Serge Haroche and Ferenc Krausz MAE visited Ukraine to deliver academic lectures and demonstrate solidarity with the nation’s academic community and the people of Ukraine. They presented a Nobel Appeal endorsed by 131 Nobel laureates globally, from a wide range of disciplines.
On 4th March, they held a symposium titled 100 Years of Quantum Physics in the shelter of Kyiv National University, highlighting how curiosity-driven research in quantum physics has led to groundbreaking discoveries and technologies. The following day they travelled to Kharkiv and visited a secondary school that housed one of the first underground educational facilities in Ukraine. Most children in the Kharkiv region have been out of school for more than 5 years due to the pandemic and subsequent war, and the students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue their education in person.
The delegation also toured the School of Physics and Technology and an abandoned residential area in northern Kharkiv, both severely damaged during the initial stages of the full-scale invasion. These visits underscored the profound impact of the conflict on educational institutions and residential communities. Throughout their visit, Professors Haroche and Krausz observed the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people in defending their freedom and democratic values amidst ongoing aggression.
Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) covers a range of technologies that have the potential to cool the Earth’s climate. SRM is therefore the subject of intense and controversial debate around whether it might provide a means to tackle global warming and the devastating impacts of climate change.
Three major reports have recently been published by the European Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) and the European Group on Ethics (EGE). Between them, they set out the evidence and present policy recommendations on SRM to the European Commission.
At this event held on 2nd April and hosted by Insights Wales, Louise Edwards, Manager of the Academia Europaea Hub at Cardiff University, shared her experiences of coordinating the evidence review work on SRM for the Scientific Advice Mechanism.
Following the Scientific Advice Mechanism’s recent reports on Solar radiation modification, we have held a series of webinars considering the issues around SRM. In the third webinar of the series, we examined the options on SRM technologies, the potential risks and impacts, and the prerequisites for possible deployment. It was attended by nearly 100 participants.
The Deputy Chair of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, Professor Naki Nakicenovic, outlined the policy recommendations made by the Group in its Scientific Opinion, particularly as they relate to technologies and possible deployment. Dušan Chrenek, Principal Adviser at DG CLIMA at the European Commission, gave his response to the presentations.
There was very lively discussion through the online ‘Chat’ between a highly engaged audience and members of the panel.
Academia Europaea invites Members to join us at our annual conference, Building Bridges 2025, which brings together leading scholars and experts from across disciplines to foster dialogue and collaboration. This year, we gather at Barcelona Biomedical Research Park to explore pressing global challenges, share cutting-edge research, and strengthen academic networks.
Find out more about the programme details, keynote speakers, and registration information.
A collaboration between Academia Europaea and Cardiff University