Organization and membership

The academy is modeled after the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Junge Akademie and similar organizations in The Netherlands and Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

.
It has working groups on science education, science and society, early career development, and interdisciplinary issues.

The typical age of members is approximately 35 years old; members are expected to be several years past their doctoral studies. The number of members is capped at 200, and each scientist is limited to a four-year term of membership. Memberships are offered based on scientific excellence, after a process of nominations from senior scientists, national societies, and self-nominations, together with peer review

Peer review

Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...

 by members and senior scientists. As of March 2011 there were nearly 150 members.

History

The Global Young Academy was founded in 2010 in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, after a preliminary organizational meeting in 2008 sponsored by the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues

InterAcademy Panel on International Issues

The InterAcademy Panel on International Issues is a global network consisting of over 100 national science academies. Founded in 1993, its stated goal is to help member academies advise the public on the scientific aspects of critical global issues...

 and the World Economic Forum

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....

 and a second organizational meeting in 2009 in Dalian

Dalian

Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. Its founding co-chairs are Gregory Weiss, a chemist from the University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...

, USA, and Nitsara Karoonuthaisiri from the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

.

Goals

The academy aims to bring together young scientists to solve global problems and policy issues that require interdisciplinary expertise, to encourage young people to enter scientific careers, to promote a scientific culture in which excellence in research is more highly valued than seniority, and to improve the foundations of science worldwide by providing encouragement and recognition to researchers in countries with underdeveloped national scientific programs. In support of these goals, it has also helped to establish several national young academies.