ACADEMIA EUROPAEA KNOWLEDGE HUB

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Academic Europaea Cardiff Knowledge Hub, , Hadyn Ellis Builiding, Maindy Road, Cardiff. CF24 4HQ

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Introduction Meetings and Events By Professor Ole Petersen CBE FMedSci FLSW MAE ML FRS In January, the Academia Europaea Honorary Academic Director, President, Professor Sierd Cloetingh, Academia Europaea Cardiff gave a lecture in Cardiff on Challenges Knowledge Hub and Opportunities for Science in Europe, to a capacity audience. During his visit, discussions took place with the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Colin Riordan, resulting in the decision to establish the Academy’s fourth hub at Cardiff.

In March, the Welsh Government

generously funded a symposium on Academia Europaea is a non- New Challenges in the Biomedical governmental association, acting as a Sciences, to mark the decision to host pan-European Academy. Our members the hub at Cardiff. The meeting was are leading scientists and scholars who organised in collaboration with the collectively promote research, learning Academy of Medical Sciences and the and education. Founded in 1988, Learned Society of , attracting Academia Europaea now numbers over more than 100 participants. 3000 members, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates. In September, a joint workshop on Ca2+ Signalling highlighted the Academia Europaea operates through strategic partnership between Cardiff a network of regional knowledge hubs and KU Leuven, with the guest lecture in Barcelona, Wroclaw and Bergen. A given by Professor Alexei Verkhratsky collaboration agreement between of the . Academia Europaea and Cardiff University led to the establishment of a In October, a one-day workshop was fourth hub in Cardiff in August 2015, held on Building a Research Career in with the formal launch set for 2016. a Challenging Environment, with the keynote delivered by Professor With a successful first programme of Christopher Pugh of the University of events, 2015 was a momentous year Oxford. for the new Cardiff Knowledge Hub. In December, the Academic Director and Executive Officer attended the Academia Europaea Board meeting, where final approval was given for the AE Annual Conference 2016 programme to be held in Cardiff. Professor Ole H. Petersen

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Marketing and Honorary Academic Communications Director Professor Ole Petersen The Cardiff Hub’s dedicated website went live in December, giving us the ability to promote the Hub’s activities and events.

Executive Officer Judith Governance Lockett

The formal collaboration agreement between Cardiff University and Academia Europaea was signed in Finance November by the Presidents of the two organisations and will last for four years In addition to meeting salary costs for from February 2016, renewable by the Hub’s Executive Officer, Cardiff mutual agreement. University provided a one-off payment of £4,000 for set-up expenses and an The following distinguished scientists annual operating budget for 2015-16 of and scholars were invited and kindly £10,000. In 2015, £4,679 was spent agreed to serve on the Cardiff Hub on set-up and £1,800 on running Steering Group: costs.

Yves Barde MAE Space Nora de Leeuw FLSW Dianne Edwards CBE FLSW FRS MAE The Cardiff Knowledge Hub took up a Theo D’Haen MAE dedicated space within the Hadyn Ellis Donald Dingwell MAE Building at Cardiff University. Stephen Holgate CBE FMedSci MAE Colin Riordan FLSW Irene Schulz-Hofer ML MAE Sir John Skehel FRS FMedSci MAE John Tucker FLSW MAE

Resources

Staffing

Ole Petersen was appointed Academic Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub Director and Judith Lockett as Wales Executive Officer. Interviews took Cardiff University place in December for a Hub Manager Hadyn Ellis Building and an appointment made for early Maindy Road 2016. Cathays Cardiff CF24 4HQ United Kingdom www.aecardiffknowledgehub.wales Tel: +44 (0)29 2068 8249

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