The American Philosophical Society (APS) was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin. It has always combined scientific expertise from a wide range of disciplines. The elected members of the APS benefit from its support through scholarships, fellowships, awards and events as well as through scientific exchange, such as at the annual general meeting in Philadelphia. Furthermore, researchers are granted access to the APS' vast manuscript collection.
In the spirit of its founding father, the APS wants to enable a free exchange of scientific ideas, support research initiatives of its members and contribute to a critical scientific discourse for the benefit of the public. Well-known members of the society have included Charles Darwin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Louis Pasteur. Since its foundation, the APS has elected almost 5,000 members to its circle, of whom over 260 members have received a Nobel Prize.
HHU Professor Eva Schlotheuber will also be able to derive fruitful benefits for her research from APS membership and the broad scientific exchange:
"I am very pleased about the election. I feel that the acceptance into the venerable American Philosophical Society, in which representatives of all sciences are represented, is also a recognition of my field of research, the culture and life of the Middle Ages, the work with original sources and the role of women in pre-modern times. I look forward to the interdisciplinary exchange with American and other international colleagues, a perspective that always enriches our work enormously. Working together can be inspiring for all involved. I am particularly interested in the resolution which the APS recently published as the "Education Offensive in Times of Corona" (National Defense Education Act) addressed to the US House of Representatives and which I believe provides a very important impetus. The ability to cope with an increasingly complex world is due to the quality of education of the next generation. In times of conspiracy theories and fake news, no society can afford not to communicate about its own past and about its position in the world that has become historical, otherwise we will be at the mercy of the narratives of others".
The resolution signed by the president of the American Philosophical Society calls for the revival and substantial strengthening of the education of young people in the USA as a core measure in the fight against the corona crisis. Evidence- and fact-based decisions should be brought back to the forefront of politics, and scientific and analytical thinking should be used for the good of the nation.
Further information: American Philosophical Society
Link to the resolution "Education offensive in times of Corona" (National Defense Education Act)