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EUROPEAN RESEARCH. IN MEMORY OF |
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Lingering crisis has stricken science’s investment and human resources, especially in Southern Europe. In those countries, the scientific community has been forced to stall research activities. Besides, the loss of employment opportunities at all levels, both tenured and non-tenured, is not allowing the much needed generational renewal at public research centers and universities. Given that these countries’ dwindling and ageing research staff, the loss of several generations of researchers could have a very high social cost—the brain drain being only its most visible aspect. There are also collateral damages with long-term consequence: this situation does not create the conditions for young people to pursue science careers.
The European research budget has also been hit. Amounting, as it does, for approximately 10% of R&D investment throughout Europe, national governments should not count on increased return from the EU Framework Programmes to compensate the domestic cuts. European science requires a solid national funding base. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This Chinese proverb calls for a common European science policy in terms of R&D investment.
The European Union will not be much of a union without a common ground of opportunities. The European scientific community should defend its integrity as a whole and not allow the dismantling of the R&D systems of some of its member states, negating their opportunity to achieve a knowledge-based economy, and condemning them to become paradises of cheap labour and sun.
(Fonte: http://tinyurl.com/n8usext 04-12-2013)
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