ES News 37
ES News 37
ES News 37
EUROSCIENCE
NEWS & VIEWS: page 2 Governing Board and EIT News page 3 Conference on Scientic Publishing and ISE page 4 Women, science and TV ESOF: page 5 Torino is ESOF2010 host city and News from ESOF2008 REGIONAL SECTIONS: page 6 NATO Workshop in Tallinn page 7 Grenoble section NEWS & VIEWS: page 8&9 Bulgaria and Young scientists in Latvia page 10 China backs science page 11 Steps across borders INTERVIEW: page 12 ERC: Questions & Answers
tasks, implementation and broad estimates of resources required to implement them. The EUROSCIENCE communications strategy should explain and promote the aim and mission of EUROSCIENCE provide for and facilitate dialogue with EUROSCIENCE members and support the effective operation of EUROSCIENCE . One unique feature of EUROSCIENCE is that it is trans-disciplinary and transnational and that it encourages the widest possible involvement in debate and opinion forming. This must be taken into consideration when organising the communications strategy. For a living debate to take place we use our newsletter/journal, position statements and discussion papers, participation in mass media, live meetings (not least ESOF) and above all, a modern and multi-functioning highly interactive website. This work has begun and will be presented in more detail in later issues of our journal. We invite you to take an active part in the formation of EUROSCIENCE s strategies to strengthen the role of science in European society. Carl Johan Sundberg Chair Euroscience and ESOF2008 Communication Committees, Vice President EUROSCIENCE Researcher in Molecular Exercise Physiology, Karolinska Institutet carl.j.sundberg@ki.se
SINCE the establishment of EUROSCIENCE in 1997 much has indeed been accomplished but even more remains to be done. We have: organised several meetings with focus on issues such as mobility and science policy been a very active voice on issues of concern for European science taken part in several science communication projects nanced by the European Commission through our presidents and other Board members been represented at numerous meetings organised by others and founded and, together with several partners, conducted EUROSCIENCE Open Forum twice and are well into the implementation of ESOF2008 and ESOF2010. These activities have been performed with very limited resources and have required a lot of personal efforts by many volunteers. Now that we have consolidated some of the key events it is time to professionalise our association even more.
On the EUROSCIENCE website we state: EUROSCIENCE was founded in 1997 in order to: provide an open forum for debate on science and technology strengthen the links between science and society contribute to the creation of an integrated space for science and technology in Europe inuence science and technology policies. These goals require a large and engaged membership and effective communication within EUROSCIENCE as well as with partners and stakeholders outside the association. To address these challenges we are in the process of structuring the way the Governing Board operates with division of labour through a committee structure. The Communications Committee is one example. Over the past six months we have begun to identify what needs to be done to full the goals of EUROSCIENCE over the years to come. The strategy includes elements such as: aims for EUROSCIENCE communication, audiences and
about its position on the EIT proposal and to debate a range of issues concerned with research and innovation in Europe in general. This demonstrates the role that
EUROSCIENCE can play in
Science Policy Working Group, set out its initial views, following a debate at the EUROSCIENCE Assembly at ESOF2006, in which it expressed its doubts about the proposal. This policy statement was widely reported in the press. In November 2006, the European Commission set out a much revised proposal for the EIT and EUROSCIENCE has again responded, issuing an updated statement on 6 February following the Board meeting in Paris at the end of January. See http://www.euroscience.org/WGR OUPS/SCIENCE_POL/EIT.htm The Commissions proposal is now under consideration both in the Council of Ministers and within the European Parliament. Although the proposal started with the Commissions President Barroso, the lead, within the Commission, is taken by the Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. Given the different facets of the proposal (education, knowledge transfer and innovation), it will be seen and debated by several committees in the European Parliament, such as the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee for Culture and Education (CULT). Final decisions on the proposal are not expected to be taken until the end of 2007. The rapporteur for this topic in the Culture Committee is Mme Hennicot-Schoepges and she and her team met with Raymond Seltz (Secretary General) and Tony Mayer (Treasurer) to discuss the EIT. EUROSCIENCE was able to brief Mme Hennicot-Schoepges
providing views and information from the grassroots to policy makers. It is a role that EUROSCIENCE must increasingly develop. Tony Mayer tonymayer@noos.fr
BELOW: The Euroscience Governing Board at its Paris meeting in January 2007. From left to right: Christine Heller del Riego and Jens Degett with Angelina, Raymond Seltz, Enric Banda, Georges Waysand, Carl Johan Sundberg, Tony Mayer, Jean-Patrick Connerade, Peter Green, Peter Tindemans, Benedikt Hoffmann, Vsevolod Borissov, W. Gerhard Pohl, Roland Pochet, Zinayida Klestova. Not pictured: Gail Cardew, Alma Swan, Didier Raboud, Renzo Rubele, new co-opted members Philippe Busquin and Michael Grewing. Picture taken by Julia Epp
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING Brussels, 1516 February 2007
publication-study_en.pdf) and was opened by Janez Potocnik. He emphasised the importance of Europe's research base and of developing a science infrastructure in Europe that will facilitate innovation and competitiveness. The meeting covered open access to scientic information; e-infrastructure; the integration of research articles with primary data; data-mining and text-mining; quality control in publishing; copyright and digital rights management; and preservation of the scientic record. Viviane Reding, the Commissioner for Information Society and Media, closed the meeting. She accepted the principle that research results should be available to all through open repositories. She said that the EC would be experimenting with processes that enable better access, and would be supporting open access publishing (wherever a front-end publication fee is charged) by including the cost of publication in EU research grants. Scientic publishing will be a highlight of the Portuguese presidency later this year, and will be discussed further in the forum of the Highlevel Expert Group on Digital Libraries. The EC will make funding available through the 7th Framework Programme (FP7): 50 million euros for top-level infrastructure through the Capacities Programme 25 million euros for preservation in the ICT Programme, and 10 million euros (in 2007-8) for improved accessibility and usability through the e-Content Programme The petition is still open for signatures and EUROSCIENCE members are encouraged to add their own name to show support for the opening up of European science: www.ec-petition.eu Alma Swan a.swan@talk21.com
EUROSCIENCE
EUROSCIENCE was one of almost 750 organisations to sign a petition (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories /2007/02/news_petition2.aspx) calling on the European Commission to act upon the recommendations in its own study on scientic publishing. The petition, which was sponsored by a consortium of national-level bodies (JISC, SURF, DFG, DEFF and SPARC Europe) gathered almost 18,500 signatures in the 24 days prior to a meeting in Brussels to discuss scientic publishing. It was
presented to the EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, immediately before the conference. The meeting, which focused on access, dissemination and preservation in the digital age, was hosted by the European Commission as a follow-up to its Study on the Economic and Technical Evolution of Scientic Publication Markets in Europe (http://ec.europa.eu/research/ science-society/pdf/scientic-
campaign to establish the ERC. Following on from the successful ERC campaign, ISE has addressed the needs for European research infrastructure for the life sciences. Now, led by EUROSCIENCE , ISE is embarking on a new and ambitious project to provide a grassroots vision for the shape, structure and funding for research in Europe. We have a unique political opportunity to inuence the design of science in Europe for the coming decade or so. This is because the European Commission itself is initiating a consultation on the re-launching of the European Research Area; there will be a review of the socalled nancial perspectives (budget) of the European Union; and the EU Treaties and draft Constitution will also be under scrutiny. These all add up to an opportunity for science, at its grassroots, to come together to inuence these processes and set out our vision as to how science should be structured and nanced not only at the European
level but also at the national and regional levels. We live at a time when structures and institutions are evolving rapidly and the relations between are changing. What do we want? How do we address our weaknesses and play to our strengths? What should be the role of the Commission and the national agencies in the future? In other words, we have to look ahead to what the ERA will be in 2020 and how will we achieve the famous Lisbon objectives? ISE is starting its work now and hopes to bring this together at a major meeting at the end of the year, possibly sponsored by the Portuguese EU Presidency. If you have any suggestions or views on these issues that can help to dene the EUROSCIENCE input to these discussions, please post these to: ofce@euroscience.ws Tony Mayer tonymayer@noos.fr
THE INITIATIVE for Science in Europe (ISE) is a coalition of a variety of European science organisations which came together especially to provide a major pressure group to campaign for the European Research Council (ERC). It has a secretariat provided by the European Life Sciences Forum (ELSF) based at EMBO in Heidelberg.
ISE provides a platform for these various organisations to promote mechanisms to support basic science at a European level, involve scientists in the design and implementation of European science policies, and to advocate strong independent scientic advice in European policy making. Since its inception, EUROSCIENCE has played a leading role in its activities, especially in relation to the
BOOKS
A (FRENCH) DIALOGUE between a PhD student in biology and an astrophysicist tries to break taboos linked to the profession of scientists: interpersonal relations in the lab, such as the one with a thesis adviser, the absence of women in decision-making bodies, anxiety about the future Comment peut-on tre chercheur(e) by Florence Malka and Lydie Koch-Miramond, with a preface by Axel Kahn Editions LHarmattan, ISBN 978-2-296-02512-7
the EuroWistdom European Women in Science TV Drama on Message project (see Euroscience News 36). The launch event was attended by Raymond Seltz and Julia Epp. More information: http://www.eurowistdom.eu/ http://www.femteckonferenz.de/en/
Dr. Sigrid Eeckhout, geologist at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble and Euroscience member, reported about her experience as a scientist.
AS ANNOUNCED in ES News 35, the proceedings of the meeting Science in the Service of War and the Responsibility of Scientists are now available. La science et la guerre by Daniel Iagolnitzer, Lydie KochMiramond, Vincent Rivasseau, with a preface by Claude Kordon Editions LHarmattan, ISBN 2-296-01402-X
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ESOF2010: Turin beats stiff competition to become Euroscience city in 2010
TURIN HAS WON the competition to organise the EUROSCIENCE Open Forum in 2010 (ESOF2010). Turin succeeded against three other extremely professional bids from Copenhagen, Paris and Wroclaw. Turin will host ESOF2010 from 2 July till 7 July 2010. Peter Tindemans, Chair of the Selection Committee commented that, all four cities had put forward convincing cases to host Europe's premier science meeting, however Turin convinced the committee that its plans for reaching out beyond Turin and across Europe would provide the widest possible opportunity for dialogue between the citizens of Europe and the research community. The challenge provided by Copenhagen, Paris and Wroclaw was formidable. It is clear that EUROSCIENCE Open Forums have become a signicant feature of the movement for greater dialogue between Europes research community and its citizens, continued Peter Tindemans. Turin's bid was led by its ESOF Champion Professor Enrico Predazzi, of the Faculty of Sciences University of Turin and representing Agor
Prof. Enrico Predazzi presenting the Torino bid ( Euroscience)
EUROSCIENCE
Scienza, Piero Gastaldo, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo and Professor Aldo Fasolo representing CentroScienza. Turins bid emphasised a well thought and thorough plan to use the web to extend ESOFs outreach beyond the physical ESOF location, a remarkable venue in the form of an early 20th century Fiat factory transformed by Renzo Piano into a conference centre symbolising the links between science, industry and
design, strong national media coverage as well as wide support by national research organisations. ESOF2010 was also deemed crucial to underline the need to invest in science and technology for the development of the region, the country and Europe as a whole. Peter Tindemans, Chair of ESOF Governance committee, peter@tindemans.demon.nl
On 22-23 February the ESOF2008 Steering Committee (chaired by Enric Banda and Ingrid Wnning) and the Programme Committee (chaired by Sir Colin Berry) met in Barcelona. Substantial progress was made in the denition of themes, top-down sessions and plenary speakers. The Communications Committee (chaired by Carl. J. Sundberg) met on March 12 in Stockholm. Jaume Urgell Promotion & Communication ESOF2008 jaume.urgell@esof2008.org
regional sections
NATO Advanced Research Workshop in Tallinn: Impact of global crises on human awareness and behaviour in risk conditions
A NATO Advanced Research Workshop The Impact of Recent Global Crises on Human Awareness and Behaviour in Risk Conditions jointly organised by Tallinn City Council, EUROSCIENCE Regional branch Euroscience Eesti and Tallinn University was held in the premises of Tallinn University, Estonia on 26-27 October 2006 (see www.euroscience.ee). The Workshop was attended by 35 participants from USA, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Serbia and Estonia. The Co-Directors of the Workshop were the Secretary General of EUROSCIENCE , R. Seltz (Strasbourg, France) and Professor A. Makarenko (Ukraine, Kiev). The event was sponsored through a NATO grant. The objective of the Workshop was twofold: (i) to scrutinise and summarise the accumulated knowledge and experience of the recent natural disasters, manmade catastrophes and socioethnic conicts, their impact on human awareness and behaviour in risk conditions; and (ii) to discuss how scientic expertise can be instrumental in early diagnostics, monitoring and prevention or mitigation of harmful consequences of crises. The Workshop consisted of a Plenary Session Risks and conicts in natural and social systems dedicated to introductory presentations of each of the three scientic sessions: Copying with natural and man-made crises Globalisation and Social Tensions Role of scientists, scientic and international NGOs in preventing and mitigating tensions. During the two working days, 26 invited lectures, oral contributions and posters were presented and discussed. The focus of the keynote plenary lecture delivered by Ambassador J. McDonald (USA), the Director of Multi-Track Diplomacy Institute addressed the problem of the intra-state wars and the new key strategies for regional and ethnic stabilisation. The case studies of ethnic conicts in Cyprus and Kashmir were analysed to illustrate how deeprooted conicts can be solved through education, conict resolution training and communication. P. Rambaut (University of Hawaii, Hilo, USA, NATO consultant) dedicated his lecture to a detailed description of intergovernmental programmes of scientic cooperation operated under the guidance of NATOs Committee on Science for Peace and Security and aimed at easing the tensions among nations. In two closely related plenary lectures Risk governance: towards an integrated approach delivered by Professor O. Renn and P. Sellke (University of Stuttgart, Germany) and Applying the IRGC risk governance framework by M. V. Florin (IRGC, Switzerland) a new integrated analytic framework for risk governance was presented as the way forward for the development of comprehensive assessment and management strategies to cope with various risks. While the rst talk was focused mostly to methodology of a new approach, Dr. Florin discussed testing the new framework in a small but diverse number of conict areas, such as (a) listeria in raw milk soft cheese, (b) genetically modied crops, (c) nature-based tourism and d) nanotechnology. These were followed by two keynote lectures given by Russian scientists on the diverse social risks in the Russian Federation. Professor I. Eliseeva (Sociological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg) presented an inWorkshop participants relax: Nelly Didenko, Alexander Makarenko (Workshop Co-Director), Igor Didenko, Zinayida Klestova
depth statistical analysis of poverty risks of the main social groups while Professor A. V. Dmitrijev (Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) concentrated on the risks of illegal immigration and its contemporary trends in labour market for different ethnic groups of immigrants. Scientic and educational systems in risk conditions and the role of scientists and the learned societies were considered by Professor A. Makarenko (Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, National Technical University of Ukraine, Kiev) as well as by Professor A. Timkovsky, N. Didenko and I. Didenko (St. Petersburg Association of Scientists and Scholars (SPASS) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg). Diverse socio-psychological, ethnic, biological risks in postSoviet countries were the subject of several presentations by A. Afonin (Ukraine), M. Sicinski (Poland), D. Kutlaca (Serbia), Z. Klestova, A. Voronina, A. Girnyk, E. Samorodov (all from Ukraine). Participants from Estonia mostly concentrated on case studies of environmental crises. In the conditions of the newly established Baltic states these can be resolved only through close links with neighbouring countries of Scandinavian and Baltic regions. Continued top of page 7
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Dr. T. Karu (representative of City of Tallinn to EU) and his coauthor, J. Kert (representative of Estonia in NATO), shared their experience of cross-border management of crises jointly with their Finnish colleagues while Dr. H. Raudsepp (Marine Systems Institute, Tallinn University of Technology) described the multinational programme AMPERA (Accidental Marine Pollution) and its implications for European coastal countries. Similarly environmental hazards associated with former uranium rich ore production in mines around the town of Sillame were described by I. Pustylnik (Estonia) and R. Seltz (France) as an illustration of a general approach where regional sections of EUROSCIENCE can be instrumental in monitoring and raising public awareness of associated risks for local populations. It was agreed to maintain the working contacts established during the Workshop. The proceedings of the conference will be published in the NATO Conference series.
Izold Pustylnik (Organiser) and Raymond Seltz (Workshop Co-Director)
EUROSCIENCE
Regional branch Euroscience Eesti and Tallinn University was held in the same premises of Tallinn University on 27-28 October 2006 (under Chairmanship of Professor P. Normak, Tallinn University). This event, addressing local issues, was held in Estonian in order to involve both scientists and local politicians and policy makers. The main topics were the social, psychological and medical aspects of human awareness and mentality in risk conditions. Izold Pustylnik Coordinator of EUROSCIENCE Regional Section Euroscience Eesti in Estonia izold@aai.ee
An associated event an interdisciplinary conference Human awareness and behaviour in risk conditions jointly organised by Tallinn City Council, EUROSCIENCE
President of the French Physical Society; Daniel Bloch, special adviser of Didier Migaud (President of Grenoble Alpes Metropole); and other University dignitaries. J.-C. Guibert and Jean Therme directors respectively of the CEA Division for Advanced Techniques and of the CEA/Grenoble welcomed all the participants and briey recalled the newly inaugured Minatec, one of the most prominent European sites for Nanotechnology research. Bill Stirling also spoke about his personal interest in EUROSCIENCE , the involvement of ESRF in the EIROForum (gathering the European large scale facilities) and on the ESRF capability for X-ray characterisation of the nanosystems. In his address, J.-P. Connerade rst recalled how lucky he had been, when young, to meet high level scientists such as Nobel Prizewinners Abdus Salam and Alfred Kastler, and also Wolfgang Paul who allowed him to be a pioneer in synchrotron radiation. He also described how he decided to evaluate the cost of Newton's apple discovery, a direct reply to Margaret Thatcher to convince her to invest in research! He made clear that a bottom-up
approach, i.e. the involvement of researchers la base was the only chance that the top-down directives from the EU about the ERA could ever succeed in reality. He also acknowledged the work of the EU Commissioners in Brussels, who have not an easy task since the leadership remains in the hands of the individual governments, who may have conicting interests between themselves and who frequently do not act from a European perspective. EUROSCIENCE appears in Brussels not only as a lobby, but as an organisation useful to listen to, since it can be considered as the Voice of Science in Europe. J.-P. Connerade also spoke about past successful EUROSCIENCE actions in favour of the European Charter for Researchers and the European Research Council. He also stressed the inuence of all Euroscience activities (especially ESOF the EUROSCIENCE Open Forum) and its work through local sections and thematic work groups. The get-together that followed pot in French was an ideal way to celebrate the creation of the EUROSCIENCE Grenoble Section. M. Belakhovsky michel.belakhovsky@ numericable.fr
Les succs d'Euroscience dans la construction de l'Espace Europen de la Recherche Success of EUROSCIENCE in construction of the European Research Area was the title of a talk given by EUROSCIENCE President Jean-Patrick Connerade on 4 December 2006, in Grenoble, France. The conference was sponsored by the three European large-scale research infrastructure facilities (ESRF, ILL, EMBL), as well as by the French
Physical Society (both from national level and its local Grenoble-Alpes section) and the Association pour la Parit dans les Mtiers Scientiques et Techniques. The conference in the brand new auditorium of the Maison des Micro-Nanotechnologies (Minatec) attracted around 60 people, including the Deputy Mayor of Grenoble, Mme Genevive Fioraso; Bill Stirling, the Director General of ESRF; Roger Maynard,
root pan-European organisation for promoting science agendas, and the construction of European Research Area, with countries such as Bulgaria and Romania was also an element in the creation of favourable atmosphere for accepting their full membership in the EU. Cordial thanks to everyone of you for giving your time and personal means to noble causes such as these! Simeon Anguelov sanguelov@eagle.cu.bas.bg
1 In the constructing and nancing the Bulgarian learned society which transformed in 1911 into the Bulgarian Academy, a key role belonged to Ivan Evstratiev Gueshov (1849-1924), its president from 1911 until his death in 1924. Another eminent sponsor was Evlogui Gueorgiev (1819-1897) who, together with his brother Hristo (18241872), left a legacy of 6 million gold leva, at that time equal to the same sum in gold French francs, for building the University of Soa. 2 For instance, the agreement of cooperation between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft preceded the establishment of regular diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Young scientists in Latvia today There is an extremely small number of PhD students in Latvia (in 2004 only 1428 doctoral students) who, in the future, will be inuencing the quality of higher education and the development of innovative technologies. The estimated number of PhD students in 2007 is 3000 1. The small number of doctoral students is mainly related to passive state politics in solving social issues of PhD students and the small number of the state nanced budget study places. PhD students in Latvia hold the status of a student and they are eligible to receive a scholarship only when they are involved in research work at universities. Fortunately, starting this year, this status has been changed and all PhD students
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who have a budget place are eligible to get a scholarship. However, the scholarship is only 114 EUR per month (whereas the stated living wage is 171 EUR) and almost all PhD students must work (often not in the eld in which they do their research). In addition to the state nanced scholarship it is possible to receive support from European Structural Funds: a scholarship of 214 EUR per month, a travel allowance 1000 EUR per year and 1714 EUR per year for covering research costs. But this is only for those students who study sciences it does not apply to arts or humanities students! The effect of these nancial problems is amply demonstrated by the number of defended doctoral theses in Latvia only 107 PhD students (86 woman and 39 men) received a doctorate in 2005. State nanced (budget) places for PhD students in 2004-2005 (%) 2 Engineering 21 Health care 14 Social sciences 12 Humanities 8 Education science 7 Agriculture 4 Natural sciences 4 Founding an Association to tackle the problems of young Latvian scientists The idea of establishing an organisation which could unite young scientists and help them in solving their problems, arose at ESOF2004 when Inese Sviestina met Dmitri Teperik (now the coordinator of the Youth Association Estonian Academy of Young Scientists). They discussed that it would be necessary to create young scientists' organisations in their home countries. At the start of 2005, Inese Sviestina and Janis Jasko started to work on the foundation of the Association of Latvian Doctoral Students. After several meetings with other activists of the eld, it was decided to establish a larger organisation under the name Association of Latvian Young Scientists (ALYS) that would unite master course students and doctoral students actively involved in scientic research. On 8 December 2005, the foundation meeting of ALYS took place at the Latvian Academy of Sciences with 24 young scientists. In January 2006, the association was ofcially registered in the Republic of Latvia. ALYS soon established links with international young scientists' networks: in February 2006, it was admitted to Eurodoc (European Council of doctoral candidates and young researchers) and became a regional organisation of WAYS (the World Academy of Young Scientists) in Latvia. Aims and activities of the Association of Latvian Young Scientists ALYS intends to become a leading organisation coordinating all issues of young scientists' concern, since, currently, there is no other organisation dealing with these issues. Some of the most important aims are to strengthen the cooperation among young scientists and to improve the communication between them. It's simply the idea to help to know more about each other, e.g. about research done by colleagues, to exchange information and to establish new contacts. We also want to show Bachelor and Master students that science can be attractive and interesting and that it is worth doing scientic research. ALYS informs PhD students on available scholarships, projects, seminars and conferences. It is both essential to help young scientists to nd the best research places and universities abroad, but also to help them to return and to convince them that good research can also be done in Latvia. Fortunately, there are some positive precedents when not only young scientists, but also successful senior scientists, came back and continued to do research in Latvia. Recent and future activities ALYS intends to organise educational seminars (on speaking skills, project development, language acquisition etc.) due to the limited number of courses delivered during doctoral studies. We want to enable young scientists to communicate their research not only to their colleagues, but also to ordinary people and to show them how the results of scientic research can inuence our daily life. We also organise interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary seminars and conferences together with colleagues from Estonia and Lithuania. For example, at an international seminar, organised together with the Lithuanian Society of Young Researchers, PhD students from different scientic disciplines (sociology, pharmacy, physics, biology etc.) presented their research results and tried to explain them in an understandable way to the other participants. Now we are planning a seminar about the 7th Framework Programme. But young scientists in Latvia do not only think about science and work: Last year, ALYS, together with young physicists and our Lithuanian colleagues, visited the Ventspils International Centre of Radio-astronomy and spent a nice day near to the Baltic Sea.
EUROSCIENCE
Sources of support ALYS has good collaboration with the Swiss Gebert Rf Stiftung that was established by the entrepreneur Heinrich Gebert as a scientic foundation in 1997. One of the activities with special importance to Latvian young scientists is the project Encouraging Young Scientists in the Baltics: Swiss Baltic Net (started 2000)3. As we still receive only moral support from our state institutions, we were very grateful for the support of CHF 14,000 from Gebert Rf Stiftung to strengthen our position as an organisation and to popularise the idea and aims of ALYS. We have a lot of things to do to improve the situation in science in Latvia but one of the main goals is to encourage young scientists to return to Latvia and to stay in science.
linear relationship between the two, but there was one exception. For China, the GDP was already far from small, but the number of scientic publications was extremely low. I remember quizzing my former teacher, Abdus Salam 1, about this point because it did at least raise a question about the linear relationship he claimed between activity in scientic research and economic performance. China is an anomaly, was his reply: it hasn't reached stability yet, but when it does, the number of scientic publications is bound to rise to the level of the graph. The audience was mildly incredulous, because the number of publications had to rise a lot to bring China in line. With hindsight,
economists today agree that an ideal gure for investment in research is about 3% of GDP, with about 1% from State funds and 2% from the Private Sector. Indeed, this is the 'Lisbon target' the European Union has set itself for the much vaunted 'knowledgebased economy'. In China, however, because the country as a whole was very far from equilibrium in its investment for research, the opposing forces do not balance naturally. Steering the adjustments through policy is the only option. For example, after the Cultural Revolution, the nation awoke to the realisation that it had lost a whole generation of its intellectuals. This gap in expertise is now working its way through the system, with consequences both good and bad, which must somehow be compensated. The
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AT THE 8TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE for chemistry teachers 2005 in Eisenstadt, Austria, I had the pleasure to attend a lecture given by Prof. Dr. Helmut Ringsdorf from the University of Mainz, Germany. He talked about Historic and current thoughts about the social and political responsibility for teaching and science. Helmut Ringsdorf was born in Gieen, Germany, in 1929. He completed his PhD in the group of Hermann Staudinger, the father of macromolecular chemistry, in Freiburg, followed by a postdoc position at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, New York. He became professor at the University of Mainz where the research interests of his group were centred around the attempt to bridge the gap between Material Science and Life Science. After retiring in 1994 Helmut Ringsdorf has been guest professor at universities in the U.K. and China. Several scientic prizes were awarded to him. W. G. Pohl g.pohl@aon.at
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What is the intrinsic value and meaning of knowledge? This question is nowadays often replaced by the question of what type of knowledge do we need to full predetermined functions. This increasing misuse of science i.e. its transformation to mainly develop and support technology often for purely stock market effects threatens to destroy its critical, purely truth-oriented function. The increasing connection between KNOWLEDGE and INTEREST rst discussed socio-critically by the German philosopher Jrgen Habermas9,10 seems to have become the norm to such an extent that the value of Science is endangered to vanish in goals and reasons dened outside science: Truth is what is useful. Does this not demand a response from our universities and research institutions? Where is all this taking us? We are in a transition state: in Europe we are under pressure to restructure our shaking industrial societies into knowledge based societies! Because we cannot keep the basic industrial production in our developed countries, knowledge, originality, and richness of ideas are more in demand than ever for further developments. Thus, we need a science education system that is able to nurture creativity, and an uncomplicated fast and open exchange of scientic and technological aspects with industry. We cannot allow our universities to be instrumentalised: neither politically as in the Third Reich nor now political-economically, e.g. by laissez-faire capitalism. We are all responsible together for what is to come11. What is to come? The best way to predict the future is to invent it12: independent universities and research institutions are a prerequisite for the education of creative, courageous, nonaligned scientists, willing to accept their responsibility as citizens and as professionals13. Helmut Ringsdorf Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Mainz ringsdor@mail.uni-mainz.de
1 The German Universities and National Socialism. E.Y. Hartshorne, Unwin Ltd., London, 1937 2 Chemists and Biochemists during the National Socialistic Era. U. Deichmann, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2002, 41, 1310-1328 3 Das Blut von Auschwitz und das Schweigen der Gelehrten, S. 189-226 in Band I der Geschichte der KaiserWilhelm-Gesellschaft im Nationalsozialismus. Bestandsaufnahme und Perspektiven der Forschung. Two volumes edited by Doris Kaufmann ordered by the Max Planck-Society, Wallstein Verlag 2000 4 Machtworte des Zeitgeistes, Kl. Hofmeister, L. Banerochse (Hrsg.), Echter Verlag, Wrzburg, 2001 5 Prot over People, Noam Chomsky, Europa Verlag Hamburg, 6. Au., 2001 6 Die Vorherrschaft der USA eine Seifenblase, George Soros, K. Plessing Verlag, 2. Au., 2004. The Bubble of American Supremacy, Public Affairs/N.Y., 2003 7 Merger Endgames Strategien fr die Konsolidierungswelle, G.D. Deans, F. Krger, St. Zeisel, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2002 8. a) Globalization and its Discontents, Joseph Stiglitz, W.W. Norton Comp., New York, 2002. "Der Schatten der Globalisierung", Siedler Verlag, Berlin, 2002; b) "Die Chancen der Globalisierung", J. Stiglitz, Siedler Verlag, Mnchen, 2006 9 Technik und Wissenschaft als Ideologie, Jrgen Habermas, Edit. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt, 1968 10 Erkenntnis und Interesse, Jrgen Habermas, Edit. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt, 1973 11 Alles Leben ist Problemlsen. ber Erkennen, Geschichte und Politik. K. Popper, Piper Verlag, Mnchen, 1999 12 A quote of Richard Feynman, Physic Nobel Prize 1965 13 But isn`t every professional a responsible citizen anyhow? Yes, but see the rst sentence of this abstract! Too often we scientists exchange our citizen jacket against our lab-coat as soon as we enter our laboratories and ofces.
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European Research Council:
EUROSCIENCE
a grant award system. We have also decided upon a at rate contribution to the host institution of 20%. While some may nd this too little, we wanted to maximize the sum that goes to the successful applicant under the existing nancial constraints. We have also decided to greatly simplify the application procedure. For instance, we ask the applications for the Starting Grant to ll out only four pages about their research project at stage 1 of the application. But one must constantly be on guard for bureaucracy not to take over. Q: How will the ERC interact with research infrastrucutre providers, both national and European? What will be the relationship between ERC and ESFRI? A: We have not differentiated between different types of host institutions, e.g. industrial labs qualify as well as any university institute or another research institution, provided they are considered suitable for the project that is to be pursued there. This applies also to research infrastructures. We are aware, however, that at a later stage the special situation of research infrastructures in Europe may need to be addressed. Q: There is a temptation by both the Commission and the Council of Ministers to use ERC for science policy advice. Will this not distract you from the main task of ERC the creation of a Champions' League of researchers? A: The ERC has decided early on to resist the temptation to become drawn into providing expertise that we have not been set up to provide. We want to
concentrate on what is called our core business in the jargon of rms. However, special occasions may arise when we feel obliged to make our views public, especially when the issue under discussion touches directly on the mission of the ERC. So far, we have done this twice : rst, upon invitation of President Barroso, who asked for our views on the proposed EIT. Later we have published a statement supporting an open access policy which regards us directly. Q: When do you think the ERC will achieve complete organisational independence from the European Commission? A: The envisaged Executive Agency is in the process of being set up and will take approximately one more year. Around the mid-term of the 7th FP, an independent evaluation of the ERC is already foreseen. It is to be expected that the organisational autonomy of the ERC will become a hotly discussed political issue around this time. Q: When do you think that we will see the impact of ERC on the European research landscape? A: At the recent ofcial ERC launch under the German EU Presidency, one of the speakers from the US, Elias Zerhouni, the Director of the NIH, gave us one piece of advice. It will take patience to succeed, he said. I fully agree and so does everyone else who works passionately at making the ERC a success. More information : http://erc.europa.eu/
Copy for the next issue should reach the editor, preferably by email to julia.epp@euroscience.org, by 20 May 2007
SPRING 2007 ES NEWS . PAGE 12
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