Carsten Rahbek elected member of Academia Europaea
Professor and Center Director, Carsten Rahbek has been elected member of Academia Europaea, The Academy of Europe. The election recognises Rahbek’s contributions to macroecology and biogeography, as well as his broader contributions to European science and research policy.
Academia Europaea is an independent pan-European Academy of Humanities, Letters, and Sciences established in 1988. It brings together more than 5,500 scholars from across Europe and beyond, spanning the humanities, social sciences, medicine, natural sciences and technology. Its membership includes more than 80 Nobel laureates.
Membership is by invitation only. Candidates are nominated by existing members and undergo a rigorous peer-review process within the relevant academic section before election is confirmed by the Academy's Board of Trustees. Rahbek was elected in 2026 to the Ecology and Evolution section.
A voice in European research and science policy
Beyond recognising excellence in research and scholarship, Academia Europaea plays an active role in European science and research policy. The Academy contributes to debates on the conditions and priorities for research in Europe and makes recommendations on issues affecting science, education and academic life.
It also contributes scientific expertise to European policymaking through SAPEA, Science Advice for Policy by European Academies, which forms part of the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism.
For Rahbek, this dimension of the Academy's work is particularly important:
-I am very honoured to be elected to Academia Europaea. I am, of course, pleased by the recognition of my research, but I am equally looking forward to contributing to the Academy’s broader work for European science, he says and continues:
-In particular, I hope to contribute to discussions about research policy and about how we create better conditions and funding opportunities for early-career researchers in Europe. This is something I care strongly about and connects closely to my work as a panel member for the European Research Council's Starting Grants.
The election adds to a number of academic honours received by Rahbek. Among these, he was elected to the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in 2006 and named a Distinguished Fellow of the International Biogeography Society in 2024.
Other distinctions include Denmark’s Elite Researcher Prize (2010) and the Villum Kann Rasmussen Annual Award for Technical and Scientific Research (2013).
Read more about Academia Europaea
Contact
Carsten Rahbek
Professor
Email: crahbek@sund.ku.dk