You are the GYA, the GYA is you! This becomes apparent in so many ways. In this article we want to look at three ways you can get engaged in particular: the GYA Activities Groups, the Committees, and the Executive Committee in particular.

The Activities Groups are activities proposed by GYA members. GYA activities can take various forms:

• working groups, for longer-term activities on a broader topic
• incubators, to try out something new
• focus areas, to work on a current topic of global relevance for 1-2 years
• strategic projects, of longer-term relevance to the entire GYA
• Sasha Kagansky Interdisciplinary Grant, an annual competitive grant for a truly interdisciplinary project
• partner projects, with international partners and Young Academies

The groups are self-organised with support by the GYA Office. Some have been around for a long time, have published outcomes, organised events or engaged in science outreach activities. Others are fairly new - you can find those as Incubators amongst the many GYA activities. All groups are always looking for new members to join, help drive ideas, create plans and push them ahead.

GYA Activities Groups focus on diverse topics:

• Science and Society
• Research Environment
• Science Education and Outreach
• GYA and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The Committees are groups of members (and alumni) focussing on internal aspects of the (self-)organisation of the GYA. They have important tasks to accomplish and ideals to uphold. To name only a few, there is the Membership Selection Committee, the Constitutional and Legal Committee, the Outputs Review Committee, and many more. Committee work is an important aspect of your GYA membership. It allows you to contribute to shaping the GYA and helping the academy to grow and thrive.

• Find an overview of the current committees here, including their main field of work, their co-leads and other important information: 2021/2022 Committee overview

The Executive Committee is the most well-known committee of the GYA. It is the GYA’s main governing body, looking after internal as well as external affairs throughout the year. It consists of two Co-Chairs and nine other members who each takes on one or more portfolios. These portfolios include all areas the GYA is active in, such as Member Engagement, Activities Groups, Collaboration with the Young Academies, etc.

• Meet the 2021/2022 Executive Committee
• As a member of the GYA you are eligible to run for Co-Chair or as a member of the Executive Committee. The call for nominations for the 2022 / 2023 Executive Committee will come to your inbox soon!

More information about the activities groups and committees at the eAGM 2022 is posted for you here:
GYA activity groups at the AGM
GYA Committees at the AGM
Reporting by the 2021/2022 EC (link to follow)