Newsletter
Dear MCAA members,
Last March another page of our Association was turned with the election of a new Board for the next two years. We can’t thank the outgoing Board Members enough for their dedication and hard work, and for their continuous support that is making the transition so much easier. We are eager to continue the previous path to bring the MCAA to the next level in science policy, in career development support to members, and in creating a community that spreads a positive impact on society.
In addition to the Board election, the MCAA General Assembly (GA) approved two important documents: the MCAA Code of Conduct (CoC), and the Ethics Committee Regulation. The CoC, available for open discussion to all MCAA members since last year, is therefore now officially adopted and will guide us to inspire adequate behaviour of all members, including members of the Board and others in leadership roles. It also serves as a basis for remediation when violations occur. An Ethics Committee (EtCom) to be constituted soon will advise in case of violations to the CoC. All MCAA members wishing to nominate candidates for the EtCom please submit a motivation letter and short CV showing relevant competences and experience to i.volunteer@mariecuriealumni.eu indicating ‘EtCom application’ as the subject. Of note, this recently created email will be widely used in future calls for volunteers, in the context of the Board’s engagement to involve all members in the life of the Association. A Suggestions Box for members was also recently created – we want to hear your ideas for the MCAA!
At the annual GA a proposal to update the Articles of the Association was also presented to comply with new requirements in Belgian law. Additionally, we propose some flexibility, such as introducing the possibility to maintain online GA’s and online voting, currently only possible due to a temporary exception by the Belgian authorities introduced in response to the pandemic’s restrictions. The final voting will take place at the extraordinary GA that will take place online on the 22 May 2022. We call all members to participate and vote. The Board, with the support of a legal team, will be happy to answer any questions from the members in a discussion forum dedicated to this important step of updating the Articles of Association (AoA).
As many of you may be aware, the current EC grant that has sponsored most of MCAA’s activities for the last year will come to an end next month. EC-funded services such as the Microgrants and many of the Chapter’s and Working Groups’-driven activities will be on pause until the next funding scheme is in place. We are hopeful to be in a position to start resuming these and many other activities after the summer break. The Board and all the MCAA volunteers are looking forward to more events, activities, and resilient planning in a hopefully post-COVID world.
Wishing you a pleasant lecture using the great articles prepared for you by the Newsletter team.
Fernanda Bajanca
On behalf of the Board