Opening Speeches & Plenary Session: Protecting Freedom in Science

Keynote speech 1

"The role of scientists and researchers in society", Sophie Beernaerts, European Commission Head of Unit DG EAC – B3: Innovation in Education, EIT, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Plenary Session: Protecting Freedom in Science

Keynote speech 2

"Facts, truth and objectivity today.", Mats Rosengren, Professor of Rhetoric, University of Uppsala

Parallel Sessions: Science & Business

Researcher to employer

Chair: Marie-Antonietta Buccheri, MCAA Board Secretary, Emilio Corchado – Salamanca University – Organiser Start-up Ole, René de Jong, Entrepreneur, Business Angel and Advisor (http://renedejong.com), Javier Ayuso, Cube Ventures (http://cubeventures.es), Elsa Sotiriadis, RebelBio (https://rebelbio.co/)

Parallel Sessions: Science & Business

Pensions for Mobile Researchers

Chair: Mike W. Rogers, MCAA Honourary Member, Delicia Hofmann, Claudia Wegner-Wahnschaffe Findyourpension.eu Project, Indi Seehra, Director of Human Resources at the London School of Economics, representing the RESAVER Pension Fund consortium

Panel discussion: International Cooperation and Mobility of Scientists

Chair: Miia Ijas, Employment and Career Development WG Coordinator of Eurodoc, Margaux Kersschot, Adoc Talent Management, former president of Eurodoc, Martina Mallett, jobs.ac.uk, Izaskun Lacunza, Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT),Apiyo Okwiri, President of Erasmus Mundus Association

Parallel Sessions: Skill portal

Session A: Business communication skills: pitching with song, music and dance

Kiran Kumar Chereddy, Treasurer of the Board of the MCAA, Rita Ribeiro (BeNeLux Chapter Chair), Scott Harrison, Eduworks ITN

Parallel Sessions: Skill portal

Session B: Mentoring and Networking

MCAA Academy – MCAA’s mentoring scheme, Francesco Grassi, Ordinary Board Member of MCAA, Dario Pellizzon, Head of the Research Office at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Practical example of how Mentoring helps career development. Frauke Kersten, Scientific Manager University Eye Clinic Bonn, Natalia Balcazar, CEO of ENVIROpro

How can MCAA help displaced researchers?

Chair: Neil Howard, Post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB) at the University of Antwerp, Senior Fellow at the UNICEF Office of Research, Sinead O’Gorman – European Director of 'Scholars at Risk'

MCAA Awards Ceremony & Closure of the MCAA Annual Conference

Brian Cahill, Chair of the MCAA, Marco Masia, Vice-Chair of the MCAA, Amit Zodge, Vice-Chair of the MCAA

Announcement of Venue for GA 2018, and open call for the 2019 GA venue