The 4th Worldwide Meeting of Young Academies (WWMYA) took place from 31 July – 2 August 2019 in Da Nang, Vietnam, hosted by the Vietnam Young Academy (VYA) and co-organised by the Global Young Academy (GYA). Representatives from more than 30 National Young Academies (NYAs) came together under the theme “Young Academies for Promoting Peaceful and Inclusive Societies” exploring how evidence and knowledge-based approaches can help in finding a solution to global challenges. Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara, President SLAYS (2018-9) was a member of the Programme Organizing Committee and also represented SLAYS at this meeting.

Participants in the 4th Worldwide Meeting of NYAs recognized the need for greater alignment, and clarification of core values that underpin Young Academies. As such, Young Academies will be empowered to act with a common purpose, to give a voice to Young Scientists all over the world and in all layers of society, to break through disciplinary and geographical boundaries, and to build collective agency to positively impact society.

At this meeting, few selected NYAs presented their strategic activities under three categories:

1. Strategic NYA activities of relevance to UN SDGs, including demonstration of the ways in which recent IAP recommendations (http://www.interacademies.org/36061.aspx) for Young Academies have been incorporated into their activities.
2. Partnerships between young and senior academies for promoting peaceful and inclusive societies. Where discussions were centered on NYA experiences on the ways in which partnerships between young and senior academies and government can promote peaceful and inclusive societies.
3. Effective outreach and engagement by NYAs

SLAYS submitted three abstracts for each of the above categories under the titles:

1. Strategic initiative towards research for impact and the role of Sri Lankan Academy of Young Scientists (SLAYS) (Authored and Presented by Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara) (http://slays.lk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/C1-Strategic-activities-of-NYAs-of-relevance-to-the-UN-SDGs.pdf)
2. SLAYS activities towards science outreach and education respectively (Co-Authored by Dr. Thilini Perera and Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara and presented by Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara (http://slays.lk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/C3-Science-outreach-and-science-education-activities.pdf)
3. Symbiotic relationships between National Academies and Young Academies: The Sri Lankan Experience (Co-authored by Prof. Nadira Karunaweera, Dr. Lasith Gunawardena and Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara and presented by Dr. Dilushan Jayasundara with Dr. Lasith Gunawardena joining remotely.) (http://slays.lk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/C2-Symbiotic-relationships-between-National-Academies-and-Young-Academies.pdf)

Full details of the WWMYA 2019 can be found in https://globalyoungacademy.net/worldwide-meeting-of-young-academies-issues-statement/.