The European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) is pleased to announce the official results of the 2025 Elections of the Governing Bodies, conducted from 19 September to 8 October 2025.

The election process was carried out in full compliance with the Statutes and Bylaws of the Academy. Voting was conducted electronically and participation was open exclusively to Active Members of EurASc.

Elected Governing Bodies

PRESIDENT

Rodrigo Martins

Re-elected
(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2028)

VICE PRESIDENT

Alain Tressaud

Re-elected
(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2028)

PRESIDIUM MEMBERS

Armando Pombeiro

(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2029)

Evamarie Hey-Hawkins

(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2029)

Natividad C.-Santamaria

Re-elected

(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2029)

Paul Lecoq

(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2029)

Richard Durst

Re-elected

(1 November 2025 – 31 October 2029)

The election was validated and certified by the Election Committee, composed of:

Prof. Antonio Camacho, Prof. Carl K. Chang, Prof. Ernst Wagner, and Prof. Quan Wang.

We extend our warmest congratulations to all elected officers and our sincere gratitude to all candidates and members who contributed to this important democratic process.

The newly elected President, Vice-President, and Presidium Members will formally take office on 1 November 2025.

EurASc thanks all members for their continued engagement and commitment to shaping the future of our Academy.

The Chinese Government Friendship Award is the highest honour bestowed by the People’s Republic of China on foreign experts who have made exceptional contributions to the country’s economic, social, and scientific development.

The 2025 awards ceremony took place on 30 September 2025 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs). The event was attended by senior members of the Chinese government, including ministers, vice-ministers, and representatives of national institutions, coinciding with China’s National Day celebrations.

This year, 50 foreign experts from 27 countries were recognised with the Friendship Award for their outstanding achievements across diverse fields — including science, technology, politics, and industry. Among the honourees, only four academicians were selected for their exceptional contributions to science and technology.

Among the distinguished recipients, the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) is proud to highlight Prof. Rodrigo Ferrão de Paiva Martins, President of EurASc, Coordinator of i3N, Full Professor at NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT) and coordinator of the Association  NANOMAT    . His recognition represents a historic moment for Portugal and for European science.

Prof. Martins was joined by other eminent figures from the global scientific community, including Prof. Donald Dingwell, President of the Academia Europaea and member of  SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies), and Prof. Rui Martins, Vice-Rector of the University of Macau.

In addition to receiving the award, Prof. Rodrigo Martins was invited to deliver a speech on behalf of the international science and technology community, addressing collaboration, innovation, and the role of science in fostering mutual understanding and sustainable progress.

The ceremony concluded with a state banquet hosted by H.E. President Xi Jinping, attended by the Prime Minister of China, members of the diplomatic corps, and over 3,000 guests, celebrating international cooperation and shared humankind social, scientific and technology values.

 Learn more:

• Professor Rodrigo Martins’ Speech

• Official report – 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award

• Facebook Video: China honours 50 foreign experts with the Friendship Award

• Instagram Video: China honours 50 foreign experts with the Friendship Award

EurASc warmly congratulates Prof. Rodrigo Martins on this remarkable international recognition, which honours not only his lifelong contributions to science and technology but also the Academy’s mission to foster excellence and global collaboration for the benefit of society.

The European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Prof. Omar M. Yaghi, Fellow of the Academy, who has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Yaghi, Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), shares the Nobel Prize with Prof. Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University, Japan) and Prof. Richard Robson (University of Melbourne, Australia)for their development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) — a revolutionary class of crystalline materials that combine metal ions with organic molecules to form porous structures with extraordinary versatility.

These molecular architectures, described by the Nobel Committee as “rooms for chemistry”, enable gases and other substances to flow through interconnected cavities. Their design allows scientists to capture carbon dioxide, harvest water from desert air, store toxic gases, and catalyse chemical reactions — creating a new generation of functional materials with applications in energy, environment, and sustainable technology.

The Nobel Committee highlighted that this discovery has “brought previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions”, underscoring the transformative impact of Prof. Yaghi’s work on modern chemistry and materials science.

Prof. Yaghi, born in Amman (Jordan) and holding a PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1990), is internationally recognised as one of the founders of reticular chemistry, which has reshaped the way scientists design materials at the molecular level. His long-standing contributions continue to influence research across chemistry, physics, and engineering, inspiring global collaborations — including within the EurASc community.

EurASc warmly congratulates Prof. Omar M. Yaghi on this historic and well-deserved recognition, which honours his visionary leadership and lifelong dedication to advancing science for the benefit of society.

 Read the official Nobel Prize press release: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025

 Images © The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences / Johan Jarnestad

The European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) is proud to highlight that its President, Prof. Rodrigo Ferrão de Paiva Martins, served as an expert in the EU–Japan Joint Expert Group responsible for developing the cooperation program on Advanced Materials. He was tasked with drafting all initiatives related to Materials for Electronics, and the final recommendations have now been officially published by the European Commission and the Government of Japan.

This publication was announced on October 6, 2025, by European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva during her visit to Tokyo, marking a significant milestone in strengthening EU–Japan collaboration in research and innovation.

The report embodies the collective efforts of leading European and Japanese experts to identify strategic areas for joint advancement in the field of advanced materials—an area recognized as fundamental for sustainable industrial transformation, technological sovereignty, and the green and digital transitions.

Prof. Rodrigo Martins, President of EurASc and Full Professor at NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT), contributed to this high-level expert dialogue alongside representatives from academia, research institutions, and industry. His participation highlights both his international leadership in materials science and EurASc’s commitment to promoting science-driven policy cooperation on a global scale.

 Read the official announcement and full report – European Commission

The European Academy of Sciences warmly congratulates Prof. Paolo Samorì, Officer of the Materials Science Division of EurASc, on receiving the prestigious 2025 Amedeo Avogadro Medal.

The award, conferred jointly by the Italian Chemical Society (SCI), the CNR Department of Chemical Sciences and Materials Technologies, and the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL, honours Prof. Samorì’s outstanding contributions to nanoscience and functional nanomaterials. His research spans graphene, two-dimensional materials, and supramolecular systems with applications in optoelectronics, energy, and sensing.

Prof. Samorì is Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the Université de Strasbourg, Director of the Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), and Head of the Nanochemistry Laboratory. He is internationally recognised as a leading scientist, with over 510 publications, 27,800 citations, and an h-index of 84.

The award ceremony will take place on 27 November 2025 in Rome during the 6th edition of the Avogadro Colloquia, dedicated this year to the theme “Chemistry for a Better Life: Solutions to Health Challenges.”

Prof. Samorì’s career is marked by numerous international distinctions, including the CNRS Silver Medal (2012), the RSC Surfaces and Interfaces Award (2018), the Blaise Pascal Medal in Materials Science (2018), and the IUMRS-ICEM Mid-career Researcher Award (2024), among others.

We are proud to celebrate this new recognition of one of EurASc’s Fellows and Officers, whose work continues to advance scientific excellence and innovation worldwide.

More information – Società Chimica Italiana

The history of European materials science is deeply connected with the creation of networks and federations that promoted collaboration across borders, notably through FEMS (Federation of European Materials Societies) and E-MRS (European Materials Research Society).

Within this context, Professors Ehrenfried Zschech and Rodrigo Martins, both Fellows of EurASc, played a central role in establishing what became known as the European Materials Common House. This initiative laid the foundation for what is now recognised as the Innovative Advanced Materials Initiative (IAM-I), launched as part of the European Commission’s IAM4EU partnership: https://www.iam-i.eu/iam4eu-partnership/.

Their vision was to build a collaborative European platform that would unite societies, researchers, and industry stakeholders under a common framework, ensuring that materials science in Europe could respond effectively to technological challenges and global competition.

Today, the Innovative Advanced Materials Initiative continues this mission, acting as a strategic hub for research, innovation, and policy dialogue in materials science at the European level.

The European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) is proud to recognise the contributions of its Fellows, Professors Ehrenfried Zschech and Rodrigo Martins, as builders of the European Materials Common House, whose efforts significantly strengthened the European dimension of materials research and cooperation.

For further historical background, please consult the full document on the history of FEMS here