About us

In a nutshell

The short answer to that question is: The Young Academy is an independent inter-university and interdisciplinary forum for young top researchers and artists with a vision of science, art, policy, and society.

Member-based

The Young Academy is first and foremost a member-based organisation. It consists of about fifty young scientists and artists who collaborate on socially relevant themes outside their working field in the strict sense of the word.

The scientific members are connected to a Flemish university and/or a Flemish or federal scientific research institute and have obtained their doctorate at least 3 and no more than 10 years ago. The Young Academy aims at a broad representation of the different scientific disciplines.

The artistic members are aged between 25 and 39 and have an apparent affinity with science.

Membership

Young Academy members are elected following an open call. Candidates submit a dossier with CV and motivation letter, which is assessed on the basis of scientific or artistic excellence and a strong motivation.  

A selection committee of current members compiles a shortlist of candidates who are invited for a selection interview. A dozen new members are elected each year. Membership of the Young Academy lasts for five years.

The Young Academy is, in essence, a dynamic organisation; the membership is completely renewed every five years.

More than the sum of its parts

The members of the Young Academy not only represent a multitude of disciplines and institutions, they also bring with them a multitude of visions and interests.

This multiplicity and diversity form the starting point of a unique partnership, in which members work together on joint initiatives and actions, such as publications, events or other contributions to the debate on policy, communication, interdisciplinarity and internationalization in the contemporary scientific and artistic field.

As a whole, therefore, the Young Academy is more than the sum of its members.

Organization and legal status

The Young Academy is part of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for the Sciences & the Arts (KVAB). As such, it is not a separate legal entity or association. 

The KVAB is an autonomous, independent and multidisciplinary society of scientists and artists whose goal is the practice and promotion of science, art and culture. It enjoys legal personality by virtue of the Law of May 27, 1947 granting legal personality to the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.

The KVAB is a sui generis legal entity. The tasks of the KVAB and their implementation and support are regulated by a covenant agreement with the Flemish Government, as provided for in Article 53 of the decree of April 30, 2009 on the organization and financing of its science and innovation policy. The Young Academy's initiatives are an integral part of this covenant. 

The Young Academy is able to operate thanks to an annual grant from the National Lottery of Belgium.