Building Bridges 2025

36th Annual Conference of Academia Europaea (AE) and 14th Conference of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE)

Resilient Futures: Bridging Sciences, Technology, Humanities and Society

Conference Date: 15th to 17th October 2025

Conference venue: Parc de Recerca Biomèdica Barcelona (PRBB), Barcelona

Building Bridges 2025: Fostering Knowledge Across Disciplines

In an era where misinformation and subjective narratives challenge the foundations of truth, the role of rigorous academic inquiry has never been more crucial. Building Bridges 2025, the annual meeting of the Academia Europaea in Barcelona, will bring together leading scholars from all areas of knowledge to reaffirm the value of critical thinking, scientific evidence, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

At a time when public discourse is often fragmented and influenced by misleading information, academia remains a beacon of intellectual integrity. By connecting disciplines—from the humanities to the natural and social sciences—this meeting will explore how collaborative research can address global challenges, foster innovation, and reinforce the importance of knowledge-based decision-making in society.

As we gather in Barcelona in October 2025, we invite participants to engage in thought-provoking discussions, build new synergies, and strengthen the role of academia as a pillar of informed public debate. In a world of uncertainty, knowledge remains our most reliable bridge to the future. Let’s reinforce it!

Jaume Bertranpetit, Academic Director of Academia Europaea Barcelona Hub

IMPORTANT DATES:

REGISTRATION PAYMENT: UNTIL 3rd OF SEPTEMBER: 250 EUROS

AFTER 3rd OF SEPTEMBER: 340 EUROS

Program preview

8.00 -15.30

17.00 -19.00

Geological Trip to Montserrat Montain

Academia Europaea Board Meeting (closed session) Room Rita Levi-Montalcini or Board Room (4th floor)

Auditorium and Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Ramón i Cajal and Rita Levi-Montalcini rooms

8.30-9.00	Check-in for Class meeting participants at at PRBB registration desk
9.00-11.00	Class meetings (A1-A2-B and C) Class A1 – Welcome and brief presentations by new members Class A2 – Welcome and brief self-presentations by new members Class B – Welcome and brief self-presentations by new members Class C – Welcome and brief self-presentations
11.00-11.30	Coffee break
11.30-13.00	Class meetings (A1-A2-B and C) Class A1: – The 5th Freedom/Letta Report by Janez Potočnik, former EU commissioner of science and research (2004-2010) and for the environment (2010-2014). Chair: Thomas Sturm Class A2: “Rethinking Social Science in an Age of Rupture”. This session invites Class A2 members to reflect critically on the role of the social sciences in addressing today’s defining challenges. Rather than only diagnosing crises, how can our disciplines actively shape alternative futures? Class B: Brief presentations by new members continue Class C: Thematic presentations Julia Vorholt, MAE, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Establishing causality: Opportunities of synthetic communities for plant microbiome research Jiri Frim, ISTA, Vienna, Austria Rewriting the Rules of Plant Signalling: The Surprising Role of cAMP Chair of the session: Balázs Gulyás Monica Di Luca, MAE, University of Milan, Italy Dynamic synapses and the long arm to the nucleus Csaba Szabo, MAE, University of Fribourg, Switzerland NO, CO, H2S, CN: the growing family of mammalian gaseous transmitters Chair of the session: Andràs Baldi Milan Chytrý, Masaryk University, Czech Republic Biodiversity loss in European vegetation. Stefan M. Pfister, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany Molecular tumor classification – translating discoveries into patient benefit
13.00-14.00	Lunch
14.00-16.00	Continued Class sessions and YAE Meeting Class A1: tba Class A2: Coffee and Conversations Informal discussions at thematic tables followed by brief reporting from each group. Class B: Artificial Intelligence Workshop with presentations by Metin Sitti, MAE, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey ML for Small-Scale Soft Robot Design and Control Lionel Briand, MAE, LERO, University of Limerick, Ireland Automated Testing and Safety Analysis of Deep Neural Networks Rachid Guerraoui, MAE, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland Towards a Safe AI Erol Gelenbe. MAE, IITIS-PAN, Poland Random Neural Networks: Parametrization and Learning for Cyberattack Detection Class C: Future activities and planning; membership and task force topics. Views of section chairs. Membership, reform of sections. Task force groups: work in the sections, overview of potential, missed candidates, emerging/underrepresented fields, involvement of YAE, alumni members
16.00-16.30	Coffee break
16.30-18.30	Annual General meeting (includes Hub’s presentations) Auditorium
18.30-20.00	Welcome reception (Terrace of PRBB indoors if it rains)

08.30- 09.00	Check-in for conference participants not attending Class meetings Registration desk at PRBB
09.00-10.30	Opening of Plenary conferece – Don Dingwell, Acting President of Academia Europaea – Jaume Bertranpetit, Director of the Barcelona Hub – Erasmus Medal Lecture
10.30-11.00	Coffee break
11.00-13.00	Class B session: Exact Sciences Chair: Paolo Papale, class B chair – Hans Oerlemans, MAE, Balzan Prize 2022: The role of glaciers in the evolution of the Earth – Licia Verde, MAE: Cosmology – Eugenio Coccia, MAE: Search for gravitational waves and the new Einstein telescope
13.00-14.00	Lunch
14.00-15.00	Sydney Brenner Memorial Lecture by Dr. Markus Ralser Professor Gyulas short laudation and award ceremony
15.00-17.00	Class C session: Life Sciences Chair: Eva Kondorosi, class C chair – Dennis Lo: Non-invasive prenatal testing and cancer detection – Jens Stougaard: Genetics of nitrogen-fixing root nodules in legumes – Mart Saarma: Presentation on neurogenerative diseases
17.00-17.30	Coffee break
17.30-18.30	Welcome to New AE Members (elected 2025) coordinated by Genoveva Martí
18.30-19.00	Networking with drinks
20.00	President’s Dinner with closing remarks and announcement of Building Bridges 2026

09.00-10.00	ANDRÉ MISCHKE Lecture by Agnieszka Wykowska Presentation by Scott Bremer, YAE chair
10.00-11.00	Art and Science Lecture Marta de Menezes: Art and Immunology – A Love Story
11.00-11.30	Coffee break
11.30-13.30	Class A1 session: Humanities Chair: Poul Holmes, Class A1 Chair – Mark Steedman: Natural Language and Artificial Intelligence – Johan Rooryck: Towards Equitable Open Access Publishing
13.30-14.30	Lunch break
14.30-16.30	Class A2 session: Social and Related Sciences Chair: Martin Kahanec, Class A2 chair Panel Theme: Democracy, Prosperity, and Sociality within Planetary Boundaries – Guy Midgley: Planetary boundaries and the fragility of abundance (to be confirmed) – Nebojsa Nakicenovic: The political economy of just transitions (to be confirmed) – Hartmut Rosa: Cultural narratives and social imagination – Rebeca Adler Nissen (TBC) Designing institutions for transformation
16.30-17.30	Session organized by the Young Academy of Europe (YAE)
18.00-19.00	Masterclass by Jordi Savall: Music As the First Language and Living History of the Human Being/ La Música com a primer llenguatge i història viva del ésser humà.
19.00-20.00	Farewell toast with glass of cava


10.00-15.00 Visit to a Spanish Winery Torres

Useful Information

Accomodation

Hotels: Barcelona offers a diverse range of nice hotels in the city center and near the venue. We are looking for hotel discounts, but until now there is only one with promotion code:

Silken Ramblas (in the city center): in its website, insert the promotion code : FCRI.

Please make sure you reserve your hotel accomodation in advance as October is a busy time in Barcelona!

Derby Hotels: promotional code BBRIDGES25.

When booking your room you have to enter the dates, number of people and in “Promotional Code” put BBRIDGES25. The page will show the selected hotel with all the offers with the discount already applied, or if you do not choose a hotel, and choose BARCELONA, a dropdown of all the hotels will appear, each one showing its best rate with the discount.

The code BBRIDGES25 applies a 10% discount on all rates and offers for bookings between October 14 and 18 at hotels Claris 5* GL, Granados 83 4* S, Balmes 4*, Derby 4*, Gran Derby 4* and Astoria 3*.