The Swiss Young Academy grows by another five members

Bern, 6 May 2022

Media release

This year the Election Commission – consisting of five active members of the Swiss Young Academy – faced the difficult challenge of drawing up a list of candidates from almost 50 applications. “We would have liked very much to give even more applicants an opportunity to benefit from membership of the SYA. The choice was not an easy one for us because so many excellent and committed scientists and scholars had applied. We’re now excited to see how the new members will implement their ideas and we look forward to developing projects with them,” said the Election Commission.

In addition to an outstanding scientific portfolio, the important prerequisites for membership are, in particular, motivation and an interest in advancing the dialogue between science, society and politics and, in the process, in working together on an inter- and transdisciplinary basis. Against this backdrop, the Members' Assembly decided to admit the following people to the Swiss Young Academy:

• Sofie Behluli, American Literature and Culture, University of Bern
• Jovana V. Milić, Chemistry / Biosciences, University of Fribourg
• Lerato Posholi, Education, University of Basel
• Julia Venturini, Astrophysics, University of Geneva
• Clara Zemp, Biology, University of Neuchâtel

Their five-year membership begins on 10 June 2022 at an admission event in Bern. Members are given an opportunity to actively and creatively shape the dialogue between science and society. Members implement projects and hold events and activities in an innovative environment with other broadly-interested and talented scientists and scholars from a diverse range of fields and universities. Moreover, as the young voice of science, they can contribute their specific concerns to various bodies. “We are looking forward to the new outlooks that the five new members will bring to the Young Academy. Together, we represent the young generation of scientists on pressing issues at the interface between science and society and further improve academic working conditions,” said Lucas Mueller, speaker of the Swiss Young Academy.