The Presidency of Ecsite and 8 Board Trustees' positions are open for election or re-election in 2023. Find out how to submit your candidature to influence the future of our network here.
We invite each Full member interested in taking an active part in Ecsite to send its candidature before 15 March 2023 by email to info@ecsite.eu for the attention of the President.
1. What do the Ecsite President and Ecsite Board of Trustees decide?
2. What could being Ecsite President or a Board Trustee mean for you and your institution?
3. Which positions are open in 2023?
4. How to submit your candidature for the Presidency of Ecsite
5. How to submit your candidature for the Board of Trustees of Ecsite
6. Composition of the current Ecsite Board 2022-2023
1. What do the Ecsite President and Ecsite Board of Trustees decide?
The Ecsite Board is composed of 14 members. The composition of the current Board can be found here.
The Ecsite Board meets virtually or in-person at least 3 times a year. Ecsite's Internal Regulations describe the duties of the Board members and of the President.
The decisions taken by the Ecsite Board define our network's future - they are the driving force behind crucial frameworks that underscore everything Ecsite does, oversee all of Ecsite's activities, financial sustainability and strategic objectives. By extension, the future of European science engagement as a whole is influenced by the decisions reached by our Board.
2. What could being Ecsite President or a Board Trustee mean for you and your institution?
Being Ecsite President or on the Board of Trustees will allow you to gain experience of decision-making at a European level; make valuable professional connections; and ensure your opinions shape Ecsite's activities and positions on the most important contemporary issues.
Representing your institution by being Ecsite President or a Board Trustee also means your institution has a place at the top table of European science engagement - your institution's brand is seen by a wide audience of science engagement professionals from across Europe and beyond, and allows your intitution to gain prestige as an important member of the European science engagement community.
3. Which positions are open in 2023?
The Presidency of Ecsite and eight Board Trustees’ positions are open this year. Should a current Board member be elected for the Presidency position, this Trustee seat would also become open. Candidates can apply for both the Presidency and for a Board Trustee position. Candidates applying for both positions need to send two separate candidatures in two separate documents.
4. How to submit your candidature for the Presidency of Ecsite
The Presidency is open to organisations that are Full members of Ecsite in 2023 who have served or are serving on the Ecsite Board. The mandate of the President is of 2 years, renewable once for another 2 years, elected each time by the Full members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The current President, Bruno Maquart (representing Universcience, France) is eligible for re-election and has expressed his wish to run for the Presidency for a second time.
The candidature should consist of one document in Word or PDF, on the letterhead of the organisation, written in English, less than 1 Megabyte, sent to info@ecsite.eu for the attention of the President. It must include:
- Name of the organisation, city and country
- Description of the organisation
- Name of the candidate, position and a short curriculum vitae
- Statement expressing the views of the candidate for the Presidency of Ecsite
5. How to submit your candidature for the Board of Trustees
Candidates for the position of Board Trustee need to represent an organisation that is a Full member of Ecsite in 2023.
The duration of the mandate of a Trustee is 2 years, renewable twice, for a maximum of 3 terms (six consecutive years).
The candidature should consist of one document of maximum 5 pages, in Word or PDF, on the letterhead of the organisation, written in English, less than 1 Megabyte and sent to info@ecsite.eu for the attention of the President.
It must include:
- Name of the organisation, city and country
- Description of the organisation
- Name of the candidate, position and short Curriculum vitae
- Motivation for the organisation and its representative to become an Ecsite Board Trustee
6. Composition of the current Ecsite Board 2022-2023
In 2023, the Presidency of Ecsite and Eight Board Trustees positions are open (positions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
| Organisation | Term | Year Elected | AGM 2023, Valletta, Malta | |
| 1 |
Universcience, France Represented by Bruno Maquart, Chairman and CEO |
Presidency First Term |
2021 |
Eligible for second mandate If not re-elected, becomes Past-President. |
| 2 |
Universum®, Germany Represented by Herbert Münder, General Manager |
Past Presidency | 2021 |
Remains Past-President if current President is elected. |
| 3 |
focusTerra, ETH Zürich, Switzerland Represented by Ulrike Kastrup, Museum Director |
Vice-President 3rd Term |
2021 |
End of 3 terms, not eligible for re-election |
| 4 |
Experimentarium, Denmark Represented by Kim Gladstone Herlev, CEO |
Treasurer 3rd Term |
2021 |
End of 3 terms, not eligible for re-election |
| 5 |
Copernicus Science Centre, Poland Represented by Robert Firmhofer, CEO |
3rd | 2021 |
End of 3 terms, not eligible for re-election |
| 6 |
Psiquadro scarl, Italy Represented by Leonardo Alfonsi, Director |
2nd | 2021 |
Term running until 2023 Eligible for re-election |
| 7 |
Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, The Netherlands Represented by Amito Haarhuis, Director |
2nd | 2021 |
Term running until 2023 Eligible for re-election |
| 8 |
Stiftung Neanderthal Museum, Germany Represented by Baerbel Auffermann, Director |
2nd | 2021 |
Term running until 2023 Eligible for re-election |
| 9 |
Technopolis, the Flemish Science Centre, Belgium Represented by Stephane Berghmans, CEO |
3rd | 2021 | End of 3 terms, not eligible for re-election |
| 10 |
The Natural History Museum, United Kingdom Represented by Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes |
1st | 2021 |
Term running until 2023 Eligible for re-election |
| 11 |
Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias, Spain Represented by Miriam Atienza Fernández, Content Manager |
1st | 2022 |
Term running until 2024 |
| 12 |
Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Portugal Represented by Maria João Fonseca, Interim Executive Coordinator, Head of Communication and Director of the Hall of Biodiversity |
2nd | 2022 |
Term running until 2024 |
| 13 |
Natural History Museum of Toulouse, France Represented by Francis Duranthon, Museum Director |
2nd | 2022 |
Term running until 2024 |
| 14 |
NOESIS, Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum, Greece Represented by Thanassis Kontonikolaou, General Manager |
3rd | 2022 |
Term running until 2024 |
7. Key Dates and Information
Deadline to send complete candidature by email to info@ecsite.eu for the attention of the President - Midnight, CET, 15 March 2023
All candidatures will be published and sent to the Ecsite Full members in the AGM booklet as they are received. Ecsite will not edit the candidatures.
All candidates to the Presidency and to the Board will present their views to the Full members in a 2 minute presentation during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 16 June 2023, 15:30 – 17:15 CEST, in Valletta, Malta.
