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Eastern Europe

When the Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago, one of the many consequences was the opening up of the world to eastern European scientists. Nature explores how research has changed for those who stayed, left and returned since that tumultuous autumn.

Opinion

  • Editorial: Back on the map

    Central and eastern European nations still lag behind Western countries in science. But they are slowly catching up.

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  • Science and the Stasi

    The acquisition of scientific and technological secrets was at the heart of East Germany's foreign espionage operations before the fall of the Berlin Wall, reveals Kristie Macrakis.

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Features

  • Scaling the wall

    The collapse of communism opened up the world to scientists from eastern Europe. Quirin Schiermeier talks to researchers about what changed.

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  • Beyond the Bloc

    A snapshot of the state of science in eastern Europe by Quirin Schiermeier, summarizing data on research spending and publications.

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Elsewhere in Nature

  • Naturejobs: No place like home

    Young eastern European scientists are returning to their home countries to set up labs - with mixed success. Claire Ainsworth tracks their progress.

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