In 1988, a new and unique pan-European academy of sciences, humanities and letters was created as the means to express ideas and opinions of scientists and scholars from across Europe. The Foundation Meeting of Academia Europaea was held in Cambridge, chaired by its first President Sir Arnold Burgen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1985-1989). The new Academy’s broad objectives were to cover all disciplines, facilitate interdisciplinary discourse, provide independent advice, facilitate the mobility of scholars and improve the public understanding of science. From its first plenary meeting of 627 members, today’s Academy has grown into a thriving organisation of over 5,000 members.

In 1993, the Academy’s journal, European Review, was launched to reflect the Academy’s mission to foster discourse and cooperation between the disciplines. Initially published by Wiley, European Review is now published by Cambridge University Press. In his first editorial, Sir Arnold, as founding Editor-in-Chief, set out his vision for the journal as the means to publish articles of wide interest to readers from a variety of backgrounds. With a focus on interdisciplinarity, the first volume published articles on topics related to science advice, migration, materials science, the future of museums, nation states and human rights.

The period since 1988 has been one of remarkable changes to the political, economic, scientific and cultural landscape of the continent of Europe. Our symposium sets out to reflect and debate some of these changes, as we mark the 30th anniversary of the European Review and 35 years since the founding of Academia Europaea.

Programme#

9.30 Coffee

Welcome (Chair: Alban Kellerbauer)

10.00-10.10 Welcome

• Donald Dingwell OC FRS ML MAE, Vice-President of Academia Europaea, Professor of Mineralogy and Petrology, LMU, Munich

Part 1: A changing Europe 1993-2023: politics, economy, culture, science (Chair: Theo D’haen MAE, Belgium) #

10.15-11.00 Introductory speaker

• Speaker to be confirmed

11.00-11.30 Coffee

Part 2: The future of scholarly publishing (Chair: Alban Kellerbauer MAE, Germany) #

11.30-12.30 Panel discussion (with audience interaction)

How has scholarly communication advanced over the past 30 years? What remains to be done to serve the academic community better?’

• Paul Ayris, Pro-Vice-Provost, UCL Library Services
• Joanna Ball, Manager Director, DOAJ
• Richard Fisher, Former Managing Director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press, Vice-Chair of Yale University Press and non-executive director of Edinburgh University Press

12.30-13.30 Lunch

Part 3 : Interdisciplinarity and the publishing landscape (Chair: Steve Evans MAE) #

13.30-14.15 Panel session (with audience discussion)

‘In 1993, the core aim of European Review was to encourage dialogue between the disciplines. 30 years on, is interdisciplinarity a reality or still an aspiration? What role can publishing play in fostering interdisciplinarity?’

• Alan Blackwell, Professor of Interdisciplinary Design, University of Cambridge
• Sir Leszek Borysiewicz FMedSci FRS MAE, former Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge
• Nevena Dakovic MAE, Professor of Film Studies, Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade
• Usha Goswami CBE FBA FRS, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, University of Cambridge

Part 4: Science advice and the impact on publishing (Chair: Ole Petersen MAE) #

14.15-15.00 Panel session (with audience discussion)

‘Science advice has risen to prominence in recent years but is still not fully embedded in mainstream academic work. Does this need to change, and does publishing have a role to play?’

• Professor Susan E Owens OBE FAcSS FBA, Emeritus Professor of Environment and Policy, University of Cambridge
• Pearl Dykstra MAE, Professor of Empirical Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and former member of the European Group of Chief Scientific Advisers
• James Wilsden, Professor of Research Policy, UCL, STEaPP

15.15-15.30 Coffee

Part 5: Closing session – Debate (Chair: Toby Wardman)#

15.00-15.15 Debate followed by vote

‘This house believes that AI poses a serious risk to the future of academic publishing’

• Yogesh Dwivedi, Professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation, Swansea University
• Erol Gelenbe FIEEE FACM FIET MAE, Professor, Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Kiera McNeice, Cambridge University Press

16.00 Wrap-up and close

16:15 Reception in the garden to mark 35 years of AE (1988-2023) and 30 years of the European Review (1993-2023)

17.30 End

Registration#

Register to attend the event in person.

Register to attend online.

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