Newsletter 2015-01: The Role and Relevance of Science Education for Modern Societies

ALLEA’s recently released first newsletter of 2015 focusses on the topic “The Role and Relevance of Science Education for Modern Societies”. In this context, the newsletter features an interview with MEP Silvia Costa, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education as well as a section highlighting investigation-based science education (IBSE). This issue also reports on a variety of activities and developments within the scope of ALLEA.

We often speak about building a European Research Area, but what about its logical prerequisite: a European Education Area? Science education is key for not only inspiring and preparing the future generations of scientists and researchers to engage in scientific careers, but also for increasing the overall scientific literacy in our societies, which plays a major role in preparing citizens to take part in scientific debates – for example, in situations where politics and science intersect and require the votes of the public.

Thus, with this newsletter’s focus topic, ALLEA offers an overview of the role and relevance of science education for modern societies. The accompanying ALLEA interview with Silvia Costa, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) at the European Parliament, offers a glimpse into the perspectives of CULT regarding science education. Moreover, the newsletter explains the importance of IBSE as a pragmatic approach towards providing effective science education to young pupils.

Additionally, this newsletter issue recaps numerous developments regarding science policy and the EFSI regulation and details ALLEA’s recent activities vis-à-vis the European institutions. It also reports on thediverse recent activities of all five ALLEA Working Groups, who perform the bulk of ALLEA’s scientific work.

The newsletter furthermore announces the 2015 recipient of the All European Academies Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural Values, Dame Helen Wallace of the British Academy, who will be awarded the prize by the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, in the context of the ALLEA General Assembly on 23 April 2015 in Lisbon.

European Academy Organisations Sign Memorandum of Understanding

From left to right: Reinhard Hüttl, President of Euro-CASE; Dermot Kelleher, President of FEAM;  Günter Stock, President of ALLEA; Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General DG Research and Innovation; Jos van der Meer, President of EASAC; Sierd Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea; Photo by Janina Amendt

From left to right: Reinhard Hüttl, President of Euro-CASE; Dermot Kelleher, President of FEAM; Günter Stock, President of ALLEA; Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General DG Research and Innovation; Jos van der Meer, President of EASAC; Sierd
Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea; Photo by Janina Amendt

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On 26 March 2015, the Presidents of five European academy organisations met in Berlin to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen inter-academy cooperation in Europe.

The Director-General of DG Research and Innovation, Robert-Jan Smits, who attended the meeting, said: “The Commission welcomes that the European academies are joining forces to provide independent scientific expert advice for policy making in numerous fields. The Commission looks forward to continue working with the Academies on this matter in the future”.

Many of today’s societal issues are cross-cutting and therefore increasingly require the combined expertise from multiple scientific perspectives which academies are well positioned to provide. A clear and united voice of experts from across all scientific disciplines would strengthen the debates about benefits and risks of new advances and will help policy formulation and support greater public confidence. The initiative of the academies highlights the potential of independent evidence-based advice for policy-making in Europe.

Through the MoU, the five academy organisations declare their preparedness to collaborate when this brings added and timely value to their activities, assuring independence of processes and conclusions, and given that the work is supported by adequate additional funding.

The signatories include Academia Europaea, the pan-European Academy of Humanities, Letters and Sciences; ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities from the Council of Europe region; EASAC, the association of National Academies of Science of EU member states, Norway and Switzerland; Euro-CASE, the organisation of National Academies of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Technology in Europe; and FEAM, the European umbrella group of National Academies of Medicine and Medical Sections of National Academies of Science.

ALLEA co-organises debate on “Demographic Change in Europe” at the European Parliament

POSTER-EPRS_DemographicChangeOn Tuesday, 24 March 2015, ALLEA is participating in a debate jointly organised with the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). The event is taking place at 18:00 in the EPRS Library Reading Room on the premises of the European Parliament and focusses on the topic of demographic change, a critical subject for the future of Europe.

The speakers include the ALLEA President, who is delivering the introductory address, as well as a panel of experts from both academia and the European Parliament including Professor Ursula Staudinger, Founding Director of the Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, and Dr. Harald Wilkoszewski, Head of the Information Centre Brussels of Population Europe, the Network of Europe’s Leading Demographic
Research Centres. After the panel discussion, a debate is envisioned with members of the European Parliament to allow for further examination of demographic change and its many facets, which include aspects such as the ageing society, low childbirth rates, and labour policies, among others.

In the wider context, the event seeks to explore how scientific perspectives can demonstrably contribute to developing effective approaches and solutions for major societal challenges. More concretely, it illuminates the value of contributions from the humanities and social sciences in particular for addressing pressing cross-cutting issues such as demographic change, which is highly influenced by social and economic factors. Thus, issues such as demographic change are also indicators for the growing need to consider both scientific perspectives from the social sciences and humanities as well as from the more technical fields when developing policies that tackle societal challenges..

Click here to download the event programme.

 

ALLEA supports the “Statement supporting European Directive 2010/63/EU” on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes

ALLEA supports the “Statement supporting European Directive 2010/63/EU” on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes” prepared by the Wellcome Trust, the international charitable foundation dedicated to funding biomedical research and supporting the medical humanities. The European Directive was drafted in 2010 and regulates the use of animals when performing research.

The statement, which was released on 3 March 2015, urges the European Parliament and Commission to refuse the “Stop Vivisection” Citizens’ Initiative. The initiative is campaigning against this directive and seeks to ban all animal research.

The Wellcome Trust statement supports animal research “where alternative methods are not available, where the potential benefits to health are compelling, and where acceptable ethical and welfare standards can be met. The Directive has enhanced animal welfare standards and introduced the concepts of refinement, replacement and reduction across the EU, while ensuring Europe remains a world leader in biomedical research.”

Animal research led to major breakthroughs in medicine which have improved the health of both humans and animals. However, it is still important to not only understand the health and diseases of humans and animals, but also to further develop and improve their treatment for people all over the world. Therefore, animals must continue to play a vital role in this research where no viable alternatives are available.

Along with over 60 other signatories including Member Academies as well as EASAC, ALLEA supports the Wellcome Trust statement.

The statement can be accessed here.