The President said that ‘it was a historic day for the Royal Irish Academy, a significant milestone in launching the Young Academy Ireland.
Supporting the next generation of academics and researchers, the leaders of tomorrow, is a core commitment for the Royal Irish Academy. It is important that scholars, researchers and professionals who are at an early stage of their career path are given not just a voice but a unique platform in which to exercise that voice.’
Professor Guiry said that
‘we hope to encourage members to assume more responsibility by fostering dialogue on education in the sciences and humanities, on research and policy discussions between stakeholders in society, the political sphere and academia, reaching a wider audience by promoting transdisciplinary collaboration among ECRIs (early career researchers and innovators) and in areas where different disciplines of research intersect.’
Dr Siobhán O’Sullivan, Executive Director of the Royal Irish Academy congratulated the new Young Academy members. Young Academy members represented ECRIs all over the island of Ireland, which was both a privilege and a responsibility. Dr O’Sullivan said that the Academy will provide an opportunity for members to work with peers across disciplines on issues of shared interest and concern, creating an environment where they can strengthen their talent, skills and leadership potential and develop professional networks.
Dr O’Sullivan welcomed Professor Anna Davies, Professor of Geography, Environment and Society at Trinity College Dublin to give a keynote address to the Young Academy Ireland members.
Professor Davies said that she was delighted to see the range of expertise in the first cohort of Young Academy members and that they had already made an impact on their field. She was looking forward to seeing what this new collaboration in the Academy would achieve, what they could do by working together and in making a significant contribution to society. ‘There was much work to be done in this regard.’
The Young Academy Ireland Induction meeting was a notable day for the RIA. Prior to opening membership for the Young Academy last year, no institutionalised approach to supporting early career researchers and innovators informed by the principles of inter- and transdisciplinary discourse and based on equality, diversity and inclusion existed on the island of Ireland.
In February 2023, forty individuals were selected into the new Young Academy Ireland and YA members officially took up their four-year membership (2023-2027) on 25 April 2023.
Young Academy members throughout the day had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the group and spoke about their current work projects and what they hoped to bring and achieve by being a Young Academy member, specifically by working in an interdisciplinary setting. Members were eager to commence projects that promoted change, finding solutions to some of the massive challenges confronting society.
Watch the full video of the Young Academy Ireland Induction day here.
