!!Academia Europaea celebrates its 30th Anniversary at the Royal Society

On Monday 24th September 2018, more than 80 members of Academia Europaea (MAEs) gathered at the Royal Society in London to mark the Academia Europaea’s 30th anniversary.
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[{Image src='125_AcademiaEuropaea_01_small.jpg' caption='Members of Academia Europaea at the Royal Society' height='300' alt='Members of Academia Europaea at the Royal Society'}]
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[{Image src='213_AcademiaEuropaea_small.jpg' caption='Networking over coffee' height='300' alt='Networking over coffee'}]
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Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society and [Professor Sierd Cloetingh|Member/Cloetingh_Sierd], President of Academia Europaea opened the event.
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[{Image src='030_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society welcoming members of Academia Europaea to the Royal Society' height='300' alt='Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society'}]
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[{Image src='038_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Professor Sierd Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea, opening the event' height='300' alt='Professor Sierd Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea'}]
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[{Image src='AE_30_01_small.jpg' caption='Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society' height='300' alt='Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society'}]
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[{Image src='AE_30_02.jpg' caption='Professor Sierd Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea' height='300' alt='Professor Sierd Cloetingh, President of Academia Europaea'}]
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[Professor Ole Petersen|Member/Petersen_Ole], Vice-President of Academia Europaea and Academic Director of the Cardiff Knowledge Hub introduced [Sir Arnold Burgen|Member/Burgen_Arnold], Founding President of the Academia. Sir Arnold spoke of the original aims in establishing the academy and highlighted some of its key achievements.
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[{Image src='050_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Professor Ole Petersen, Vice-President of Academia Europaea and Academic Director of the Cardiff Knowledge Hub introducing Sir Arnold Burgen ' height='300' alt='050_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg'}]
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[{Image src='059_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Sir Arnold Burgen, Founding President of the Academia.' height='300' alt='059_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg'}]
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One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of AE’s Gold Medal to [Robert-Jan Smits|Member/Smits_Robert-Jan], currently the European Commission’s Open Access Envoy and formerly Director-General of the Commission’s Research and Innovation Directorate.  Professor Cloetingh awarded the Gold Medal to Mr Smits following a laudatio by Professor Eva Kondorosi, Vice-President of the European Research Council.
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[{Image src='209_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Academia Europaea Gold Medal winner, Robert-Jan Smits' height='300' alt='Robert-Jan Smits'}]
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[{Image src='081_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Professor Eva Kondorosi, Vice-President of the European Research Council giving a laudatio for Robert-Jan Smits' height='300' alt='Professor Eva Kondorosi, Vice-President of the European Research Council'}]
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A roundtable discussion took place on ''[Making Sense of Science|http://aecardiffknowledgehub.wales/2018/09/20/the-first-working-group-meeting-of-making-sense-of-science-takes-place]'', a topic taken up by the European Group of Chief Scientific Advisers, with the evidence review led by AE’s Cardiff Hub on behalf of [SAPEA|https://www.sapea.info] (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies). Chaired by Professor Cloetingh, the expert panel comprised Professor Richard Catlow (Vice-President of the Royal Society), Professor Nicole Grobert (Member of the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors), Dr Johannes Klumpers (Head of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism Unit), and Professor Ortwin Renn (Chair of the SAPEA Working Group on ''Making sense of science'').
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[{Image src='175_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Making Sense of Science expert panel: Dr Johannes Klumpers, Professor Ortwin Renn, Professor Nicole Grobert and Professor Richard Catlow' height='300' alt='Expert panel'}]
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[{Image src='190_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Questions for the panel' height='300' alt='Questions for the panel'}]
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The last session of the programme focused on scientific developments over the last 30 years. Chaired by [Sir John Skehel|Member/Skehel_John] (Vice-President of the Royal Society), the speakers were [Professor Alexander Boksenberg|Member/Boksenberg_Alexander] (University of Cambridge), [Professor Tullio Pozzan|Member/Pozzan_Tullio] (Italian National Research Council) and [Baroness Onora O’Neill|Member/O'Neill_Onora] (the House of Lords). The evening concluded with drinks, canapes and a formal dinner for invited guests.
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[{Image src='Sir-John-Skehel_small.jpg' caption='Sir John Skehel chairing the final session: 30 years of scientific developments' height='300' alt='Sir John Skehel chairing the final session: 30 years of scientific developments'}]
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[{Image src='Alexander Boksenberg_small.jpg' caption='Professor Alexander Boksenberg, University of Cambridge, presenting on observational astronomy' height='300' alt='Professor Alexander Boksenberg, University of Cambridge, presenting on observational astronomy'}]
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[{Image src='Tullio Pozzan_small.jpg' caption='Professor Tullio Pozzan from the Italian National Research Council presenting on the regulation of mitochondrial function' height='300' alt='Professor Tullio Pozzan from the Italian National Research Council presenting on the regulation of mitochondrial function'}]
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[{Image src='Baroness_Onora ONeill_small.jpg' caption='Baroness Onora O’Neill from the House of Lords presenting on trust in science' height='300' alt='Baroness Onora O’Neill from the House of Lords presenting on trust in science'}]
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[{Image src='216_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='The speakers' height='300' alt='The speakers'}]
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[{Image src='221_AcademiaEuropaea_240918_bigTimages_small.jpg' caption='Academia Europaea’s Presidents, past and present: Sir Arnold Burgen, Professor Lars Walløe, Professor Sierd Cloetingh and Professor Dr Jürgen Mittelstraß ' height='300' alt='Academia Europaea’s Presidents, past and present: Sir Arnold Burgen, Professor Lars Walløe, Professor Sierd Cloetingh and Professor Dr Jürgen Mittelstraß '}]
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Following this event, a commemorative brochure will be published.\\
Photos courtesy of the Royal Society.