Spain’s science policy needs a U-turn
The article focuses on what Spain needs to do to seize the moment and rely on R&D to recover from the sharp economic loss that follows COVID-19. Read more [...]
Policy
Top level research policy issues that affect the way science is being organised and funded
How to solve the dispute between the European Court of Justice and the German Constitutional Court?
The German Constitutional Court has recently expressed itself on the buying up of bonds by the European Central Bank. It has decided that the German Bundes Bank can no longer participate in such a measure unless the European Court of Justice explains why this is justified. Read more [...]
For the Europe of tomorrow
On the 23rd April 2020 – on the day of a critical meeting of the European Council – President Giscard d’Estaing together with leading representatives from the World of politics, academia and civil society from the Board of Re-Imagine Europa call European leaders to show courage and ambition. Read more [...]
UK-EU27 collaboration in science: vital but uphill struggle against Brexiteers
The UK and the EU-27, on the assumption that the UK will leave the EU, have mutually benefited enormously from collaboration in the field of research, innovation and higher education over the past 45 years. Read more [...]
The new Yellow-Green Italian Government
There is a refreshing new tone both in the Italian Parliament and Government. A rejuvenated politics, with a shot of populism generated a government of Parties bitterly opposing until the very last minute. The new, Yellow-Green Government, known as “Government of change”, is leaded by a coalition between the two Parties “League” and “Five Stars Movement”; they signed a “Government contract” of about 50 pages and 30 points. We do some considerations on the Research strategy proposed in the contract with specific attention to human resources in research. Talents attraction represents a point of concern. A short comment on Trieste ESOF is also included. Read more [...]
March for Science 2018: be ready for science activism
The next Science March will take place in Washington, Göttingen and many other cities throughout the world on the 14th April 2018. This research activism movement born last year is set to gain momentum. It is a reminder to the science community that researchers need to make their voices heard
Read more [...]
Heightened multi-lateral collaboration fever as Brexit mitigating strategy
Too much is at stakes in European science for people managing research—particularly in the UK—to leave it up to politicians to determine their future. Brexit or no Brexit, there are signs that further integration of the UK scientific activities into the European research fabric is underway. Indeed, universities across the UK are establishing new partnership deals in education and research with European and Commonwealth universities. Whether this move will allow UK research institutions to remain attractive to European collaborators remains to be seen. Read more [...]
Webinar: “What does ‘open science’ really mean?”
The Marie Curie Alumni Association and EuroScientist are hosting a round table “What does 'open science' really mean?” on October 3 2017 at 13:30 CEST. Read more [...]
Mr. Macron, do not sacrifice science and the transmission of knowledge
On April 22nd, on the eve of the first round of the French presidential elections, an event brought together more than one million citizens worldwide.
In France, it was supported by more than forty scholarly societies, including the Académie des Sciences, Read more [...]
Homo scientificus europaeus: Giving European scientists back their voice
Political populism, with its accompanying "fake news" and pseudoscience, leaves scientists distraught. But maybe scientific research itself needs a reboot.
Research can no longer win public funding on the mere promise of a possible contribution to society. Read more [...]
Spain, the European exception: ‘economic miracle’ & scientific suicide
Six years ago, the Spanish parliament approved Law 14/2011, known as the Science Law, aiming to modernise and harmonise different aspects of scientific activity in Spain, by a virtually unanimous vote. Today, Spanish scientists are still waiting for the law to be fully implemented; more than three and half years after the deadline for implementation has passed.
In this article, the 5s6s Platform, a grassroots movement of Spanish scientists, including about 400 tenured scientists working in OPIs, supported by another >1300 scientists working in different Spanish Universities and other research institutions, denounces this untenable situation and requests that the Government finally implements the law. Read more [...]
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Scientific advice for politics: The European way
Politics is not an exact science: moral choices, traditions, communication and many other aspects play important roles. But working on politics without caring for scientific evidence is almost certainly a recipe for failure. In the last few years, the European Union has struggled to find its own, formal model for conveying scholarly knowledge in its policies. After a tangled attempt to concentrate this task into a single Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA), the Commission opted in 2015 for a much more complex Scientific Advisory Mechanism (SAM). The High Level Group at the top of the mechanism was appointed in November 2015. The seven prominent scholars that form the committee discuss their first year and a half of work in a debate at the European Conference for Science Journalists, taking place in June in Copenhagen, Denmark. Read more [...]
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