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Published online 5 November 2009 |
Nature
| doi:10.1038/news.2009.1042
Corrected online: 11 November 2009
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Research supremo plans for reform in Greece
Achilleas Mitsos hopes to sharpen up Greek science.
One of Europe's leading research policy-makers, economist Achilleas Mitsos, is a leading candidate for the role of general-secretary for research in Greece's new socialist government. That appointment is expected to be decided in the next few weeks.
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Although Dr Mitsos has not been "appointed" as a GSRT of Greece (the results of the open call to fill the post have not been published yet), his views are well respected in the RD community in Greece, mainly because of his successful tenure as the EC's DG for RD. Even if he isn't the next GSRT, I am sure the Greek government will listen to him very carefully.
As a practicing senior researcher myself, I can only agree with many of the opinions and views he mentioned in this interview and hope the system can be improved. But, Dr Mitsos must bear in mind that the entrenched “special interests†and chronic cronyism and nepotism of Greek academia (not only at universities) will be a very difficult “nut to crackâ€. Previous attempts at reforming the academic system by coercion have led to terrible disruptions, University closures, sit-ins, work-to-rule, strikes etc. For the , the previous government’s dangerous, half-baked “ideas†(such as last July’s announcement of a “reform†of the research infrastructure by partly destroying it, just to satisfy some cronies’ secret agendas) have complicated the situation even further by making the researchers wary of any attempts to change the status quo from above. It should be clear by now that the “stick†approach will never work. It is best to use a funding carrot (over and above a basic, subsistence, level of funding) to provide real incentives and make sure that academics and the researchers are well consulted on any proposed changes and the discussion is open and frank. In this regard, compulsory evaluation of academics’ achievements (as researchers in Greek RCs have accepted over the years) should be seen as a benefit opening the way towards better funding opportunities, instead of a threat.
With regard to the necessary consultations on policy and reforms, the Greek government needs also to address the issue of “who represents the research community and should advise on RD policyâ€. The current situation where the national advisory council on RD, “ESETâ€, includes just 2 (!) active researchers out of a total of over 35 members (the rest are academics but also include medical doctors, lawyers and others with almost no recent experience of research) is hardly a body that can offer advise on modern research directions!
Finally, the issue of innovation and exploitation of technologies should be treated distinctly from that of research. Innovation is the “valorisation†of scientific and technological results and inventions produced by researchers. End-users (both public and private) should be given clear incentives to transfer and use or commercialise such research results, for their own benefit. Of course, problem-solving (“market-pullâ€) research can easily co-exist (and even help to fund) up-stream type of research work.
Dr George Vekinis
NCSR “Demokritosâ€
As a young greek researcher working outside the country, it seems to me that current conditions within the country are not compatible with my aspirations for a fulfilling scientific career. I can only vision such achievement abroad! hopefully the suggested reforms will bring an end to mine, and many of my peers, disillusioned views of the greek R&D system. However, I must agree in part with Dr Vekinis that applying such reforms will be a tough nut to crack, as the system in greece is rotten to its core. I only hope the section of the scientific community within greece that is accepting and eager for these reforms to occur, will actively promote their introduction and proliferation.