Dr Muhammad Naeem Anwar, of Swansea University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, is among the first members of the new UK Young Academy – a network of early career researchers and professionals established to help tackle local and global issues and promote meaningful change.
As part of the first cohort of 67 members announced by UK and Ireland National Academies, Dr Anwar will have the opportunity to help shape the strategy and focus of this new organisation, based on areas that matter to them.
Along with their fellow members from across academia, charity organisations and the private sector, they will have the chance to inform local and global policy discussions, galvanising their skills, knowledge, and experience to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing societies now and in the future.
The UK Young Academy has been established as an interdisciplinary collaboration with prestigious national academies: the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Learned Society of Wales, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Irish Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society. It joins the global initiative of Young Academies, with the UK Young Academy becoming the 50th to join the Young Academy movement.
Dr Anwar said:
"I feel privileged to be part of the first cohort of the UK Young Academy, and I am looking forward to working with talented professionals across various disciplines to work towards a better future. The UKYA promises to facilitate young researchers to make science communications more entertaining and its multidisciplinary teams will surely bring out something outstanding."
Professor Gert Aarts, Head of Swansea University’s Particle Physics and Cosmology Theory group in which Dr Anwar is based, stated:
“It is a fantastic honour for Dr Anwar to be selected for the UK Young Academy, as the only candidate from our University. He joined the PPCT group in May of 2022 with a Royal Society Newton International Fellowship and is making important contribution to our understanding of hadrons. This recognition is an important next step in his career.”
Professor Prem Kumar, Co-Head of Swansea University’s Department of Physics said:
“The UK Young Academy is an ambitious platform for early career researchers to connect, pursue excellence in science, and to act as agents of global change. It is really great to see Dr Anwar, Newton International Fellow and a member of our Particle Physics Theory research group, being selected to this Academy. As the only representative from Swansea University, and one of five from Wales, I am sure that he will excel in his role with the Academy, just as he continues to do in his line of research.”
The successful applicants officially took up their posts on 1 January 2023, and membership runs for 5 years. It is expected that the next call for applications will open in 2023.