Sir

Eastern European science is underfunded and lags behind the major players. However, as your Editorial suggests (Nature 426, 369; 200310.1038/426369b ), the great human potential in terms of qualified scientists and excellent students provides a solid basis for growth.

During my scientific career I have had the chance to work both in the European Union (EU) and in Slovakia, which is due to join the EU this year. In my view, the problem is not only financial, as there are well-funded laboratories in eastern Europe with state-of-the-art equipment. What is missing is the competitive atmosphere found in top-class research centres. Foreign scientists are very rare in eastern European countries, which make no significant effort to attract experienced scientists from abroad — unlike emerging economies in Asia (see, for example, Nature 420, 257; 200210.1038/420257b ).

One solution would be to establish new international research centres in eastern Europe. Apart from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw ( Nature 421, 471–472; 2003 ), genuine international research centres have been absent in these countries. Establishing such centres will help prevent the brain drain and will be an effective way to harness talent in eastern Europe.