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The Aigrain proposals for European cooperation on seven areas of advanced technology are exercising the diplomatic skills of all governments concerned. Collaboration on computers is one of the most contentious themes.
ELDO and ESRO have served as monuments to the pitfalls in European collaboration. A few successes would augur well for combining them into a single European space agency which could begin to look NASA in the face.
Universities are still resentful of interdisciplinary studies, as the history of molecular biology bears witness. Perhaps making the research councils more powerful sources of patronage would hasten the pace of change.
In the post-Gaullist era, the aims of scientific research are being shifted from prestige to profitability, but already the new five year plan is being criticized for lack of realism. Besides, its glittering promises do not please everyone.
Political chaos and the position of the university barons are serious obstacles to scientific research ; the physicists are able to look after their own interests, but Italian biology has not kept pace with the biological revolution.
Under new direction, the Ministry of Science and Education is being reshaped so as to take a stronger hand in coordinating the national research effort. At the same time the universities are entering a phase of rapid expansion.
Science policy is decided behind closed doors and the government usually ignores the Science Advisory Council. There are deep divisions about the CERN 300 Gev machine and even small cyclotrons are bones of contention.
The Party has declared that there is no distinction between pure and applied research, but the academic community has managed to dissuade the government from concentrating research on a narrow technological base.
Research councils depend for their income on football pools, but a more serious policy for science and technology is needed if the brain drain is to be staunched and if the universities are to build closer ties with industry.
