8 May 2025
Young Academies gather in Tallinn to discuss academic careers, ethics and AI
Adel Daoud, Helen Eenmaa (Young Academy of Estonia), Sverker Lundin. Photo: Young Academy of Sweden
The Nordic-Baltic Meeting of Young Academies 2025 took place in Tallinn, Estonia, continuing a growing tradition of regional collaboration between young academies in Northern Europe. Sveriges unga akademi was represented by academy member Adel Daoud, and CEO Sverker Lundin who joined peers from across the Nordic and Baltic region for two days of engaged dialogue and exchange.
This year’s meeting centered around two major themes: Academic Career Organization from a young researcher perspective and Ethics and Artificial Intelligence. Participants shared experiences and strategies from their respective national contexts, highlighting both structural differences and shared challenges facing early-career researchers.
One example was the shifting demographies in the academic workforce and how the increasing number of international PhD students affect academia. Another example was the vast number of tasks a young researcher manages in order to have a successful career, and the discussion highlighted how to bet on the right “horse” and how young academies can support to develop a sustainable and multifaceted academia with attractive career options to nurture talent.
The conversations underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration and mutual learning among young academies, particularly in navigating the rapidly evolving academic landscape.
One outcome of the meeting was Sveriges unga akademi’s call to action: a proposal to co-author a joint statement in defense of academic freedom, in light of troubling developments in the United States and elsewhere. The initiative was warmly received by participating academies, reflecting a shared commitment to safeguarding the autonomy and integrity of research.
The Nordic-Baltic meetings have become an important forum for strengthening the role of young academies as voices for the next generation of researchers. The 2025 meeting builds on the momentum from last year’s gathering in Copenhagen, hosted by the Young Academy of Denmark, which focused on science diplomacy and interdisciplinary collaboration (read more).
It also echoes the spirit of the inaugural meeting held in Stockholm in 2019, initiated by Sveriges unga akademi, which laid the foundation for continued Nordic-Baltic cooperation (read more).
As regional and global challenges grow increasingly complex, the Nordic-Baltic Meeting remains a vital space for interdisciplinary exchange to support high quality research and joint action among young scholars.
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