The Hypatia Prize, awarded by Barcelona City Council in collaboration with the Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub, will recognise Nobel Prize laureate Svante Pääbo for his groundbreaking work in sequencing the genomes of extinct human groups, a feat that has revolutionised our understanding of human evolution.
See the announcement: https://www.barcelona.cat/barcelonaciencia/en/actualitat/noticies/barcelona-will-grant-the-5th-hypatia-award-to-biologist-and-geneticist-svante-paabo-1459528
Once atomic energy was channeled into a weapon of war, the threat of war became intrinsically intertwined with the possibility of mass destruction. During the Cold War, this threat was at the forefront of many minds in America, Europe, China, and the Soviet Union, but geopolitical dynamics shifted, avoiding a nuclear holocaust. Nevertheless, in the recent years, the increasing confrontation between nuclear powers, modernization—and in some cases, expansion—of their nuclear arsenals, as well as interruptions in international dialogue on arms control and disarmament, have led to the re-emergence of the threat of nuclear war.
VII AGORA: December 4, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Animal experimentation is a controversial topic that raises several pros and cons. On the one hand, most scientists argue that it is essential for scientific and medical progress. Using animals in experiments allows researchers to study complex biological processes, test new therapies, and evaluate the safety of pharmaceutical products before testing them in humans. This can lead to the development of more effective and safer medical treatments, saving lives and improving public health. On the other hand, detractors of animal experimentation highlight the ethical and animal welfare aspects involved. So, while animal experimentation can provide significant scientific benefits, it also raises ethical and welfare concerns that need to be taken into account.
Invited speakers:
Lluís Montoliu, National Center for Biotechnology-CSIC, Madrid.
Núria Almirón, Co-Director, UPF Centre for Animal Ethics Director, MA in International Studies in Media, Power, and Difference; Director, COMPASS Research Project; Member, CRITICC Research Group ,
Moderator: Cristina Junyent, biologist, editor and science communicator, Barcelona
Free entry.
Hybrid event: At RACAB, La Rambla, 115, Barcelona and online.
To watch the session, click here
The simultaneous rise of both information technology and biotechnology threatens to transform the economy, particularly the labour market, as well as social and political powers, and even the biological makeup of humans. The future development of artificial intelligence (AI) will pose challenges that are currently difficult to imagine. As with climate change, policies restricting certain technological advancements in one country, such as the United States, do not prevent another, such as China, from pursuing them; soon thereafter, the international community begins developing the same technologies to avoid being left behind in a competitive world. Additionally, the wide range of opinions on the ethical implications of technological advancements in AI and bioengineering could lead to the adoption of different guidelines by different countries. To prevent a potentially dangerous snowball effect, nations need to agree internationally on ethical guidelines for technological advancements and innovations.
To watch the session online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81064336728
The international expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Nuria Oliver, scientific director and co-founder of the Ellis Foundation Alicante, has won the IV edition of the European Barcelona Hypatia Science Award (Hypatia Prize), promoted by the Barcelona City Council in collaboration with the Barcelona Knowledge Hub of the European Academy. The award, with an endowment of 30,000 euros, is given to him for his research in the development of new methods and AI systems to promote a positive social impact, a trajectory of exceptional international impact that has resulted in more than 40 registered patents.
Professor Marja Makarow is a Molecular Cell Biologist. She has been Director of Biocenter Finland, Vice-President of the Finnish Research Council – Academy of Finland, Vice-Rector of the University of Helsinki and Chief Executive 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 is a Board member of the European Innovation Council and former member of the Governing Board of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology. 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. Professor Makarow was elected to the Academia Europaea in 2009. Her term as AE President commenced on 1st January 2022.
Tell us a little about your background and the key highlights from your career so far that have led you to your new role as Academia Europaea’s President.
“I am a national of Finland and a European, having been schooled in French, German and Finnish, and having lived and worked for 11 years in The Netherlands, Germany and France.
After completing a PhD at the University of Helsinki and a postdoc at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, I became Group Leader and then Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at my alma mater. With my postdocs and PhD candidates, we discovered molecular mechanisms that guide the folding of nascent proteins in the eukaryotic cell and transport them to intra-cellular organelles and the exterior of the cell.
As Vice-President for Research, Researcher Training and Innovation, the focus on my own research expanded into a passion to serve the research community at large. I became inspired by all the disciplines at my university, and learnt to appreciate their distinct research cultures and outcomes.
As a consequence, I decided to make a career shift to positions where I could serve researchers of all disciplines, at both a national and European level. I moved to Strasbourg to serve as Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation, which was funded by research funding and performing organisations of 30 countries to support cross-border collaboration in Europe. On my return to Finland, I became Vice-President of the Finnish Research Council (the Academy of Finland), and then Director of Biocenter Finland, an umbrella organisation for the country’s five biocentres.
Over the years, I have contributed to the establishment, governance, management and evaluation of many research universities. I have given advice on science policy to the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Finnish Government. I have undertaken assessments of national research and innovation systems and of research funding organisations. I have also evaluated research proposals – for example, as panel chair of the ERC Starting Grants programme.”