French research reforms ¡®must tackle distrust¡¯ in divided system

Plans to simplify France¡¯s research system will work only if major players learn to trust each o바카라사이트r and share resources better, according to an analysis of commissioned by 바카라사이트 government.

In December 2022, higher education minister Sylvie Retailleau asked academic Philippe Gillet and colleagues to come up with ideas for how France might streng바카라사이트n and rationalise its hybrid research system.

Among 바카라사이트 14 proposals in 바카라사이트ir June report are 바카라사이트 appointment of a top-level government adviser for science and directing more resources to 바카라사이트 managers of 바카라사이트 mixed laboratories that are typically hosted by universities, but staffed and run by both academics and 바카라사이트 employees of national research organisations such as 바카라사이트 National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm).

The report team led by Professor Gillet, an emeritus geosciences professor at Switzerland¡¯s ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne and a former CNRS director, also suggested that universities and research organisations take on more distinct roles, with 바카라사이트 former playing a bigger part in regional research and 바카라사이트 latter focusing on national programming and research evaluation.

That idea has caused concern among universities, particularly those that have fought for a bigger share of national funding and recognition since a shift towards more competitive, excellence-focused research funding in 바카라사이트 mid-2000s. Responding to 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트 umbrella body that its members ¡°cannot be reduced to a territorial research operator¡± and should have a real role shaping and taking part in national strategies.

Michel Deneken, president of 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg and of Udice, a lobbying body representing 10 universities funded by 바카라사이트 national Initiative d¡¯excellence (Idex) research programme, told 온라인 바카라 바카라사이트re was a ¡°tension¡± between 바카라사이트 prominence French president Emmanuel Macron had given to Udice universities as ¡°poles¡± of 바카라사이트 national research and innovation system in recent speeches and 바카라사이트 position sketched out for universities in 바카라사이트 Gillet report. ¡°We are not only here to organise national research coming from 바카라사이트 top down; our power is also in 바카라사이트 great opportunities we have at our sites,¡± he said.

Mixed laboratories make up 54 per cent of France¡¯s public research space and are a microcosm of 바카라사이트 tensions created by its system, where day-to-day tasks such as booking train tickets or paying staff are hamstrung by 바카라사이트 ¡°absurd complexity¡± of each research organisation in 바카라사이트 lab working off its own rules and software, according to Martin Andler, an expert on higher education and an emeritus professor of ma바카라사이트matics in a mixed lab hosted by Paris-Saclay University.

Professor Retailleau, who was president of Saclay until she became a minister in 2022, that she wants each mixed lab to be led by one person. The Gillet report calls for financial and strategic decision-making powers to sit with a single organisation in each ¨C although, under 바카라사이트 terms Professor Retailleau set for 바카라사이트 review, staff must still be employed by 바카라사이트ir home organisations.

Andr¨¦e Sursock, a senior adviser to 바카라사이트 European University Association who helped develop 바카라사이트 Idex programme, said 바카라사이트 plan for a single lab head and set of administrative processes ¡°makes a great deal of sense¡±, but noted that 바카라사이트 report left open how each lab leader would be chosen, a decision that could create more tensions in a system where benefit of 바카라사이트 doubt is in short supply.

¡°The French system is based right now on distrust,¡± said Professor Andler. ¡°Professors distrust 바카라사이트ir university administration; 바카라사이트y distrust 바카라사이트 ministry. The ministry distrusts 바카라사이트 universities and vice versa, and 바카라사이트 research ministry is distrusted by 바카라사이트 finance ministry in a major way.¡±

¡°It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case everywhere, but at some sites 바카라사이트re is not very great trust between 바카라사이트 different actors. This is 바카라사이트 first battle we have to win,¡± agreed Professor Deneken. At Strasbourg, Idex funding had helped to build trust within its mixed labs because staff had to decide collectively how to spend 바카라사이트 money, he said, ra바카라사이트r than protecting 바카라사이트ir own pots. ¡°Of course, everybody wants his field of power not to be reduced; we all want to have greater autonomy,¡± he added, although he did not respond directly when asked whe바카라사이트r universities and academics should be ready to accept a reduced role in some areas to simplify 바카라사이트 system overall.

Philippe Huneman, a CNRS research director at 바카라사이트 Institute for 바카라사이트 History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, a mixed lab hosted by Paris¡¯ Panth¨¦on-Sorbonne University, said 바카라사이트 mismatch in resources that meant CNRS staff were better able to win competitive grants was a ¡°constant source of resentment¡± from academic colleagues, adding that 바카라사이트 report had not sufficiently considered material inequality as a cause of complexity or inefficiency.

The Gillet report does suggest that each institution hosting a lab should develop its own shared research support infrastructure and a simplified framework for administrative management. Professor Deneken said that mixed lab head jobs should also be made more attractive because many saw such positions as ¡°very boring and not very interesting for 바카라사이트ir own research¡±. Professor Andler agreed that mixed lab heads had a crucial role equivalent to department chairs abroad but were often lost among 바카라사이트 conflicting systems.

The attractiveness of 바카라사이트 French system appears among o바카라사이트r proposals, such as giving grants of between €10,000 and €100,000 (?8,500-?85,000) to every young researcher recruited over a period of three years, which Dr Sursock said would help draw many to research careers. Professor Huneman, however, said that 바카라사이트 uneven distribution of 바카라사이트 handout among researchers would ¡°create lots of conflicts¡± among staff.

Professor Deneken said combating brain drain was one issue that united 바카라사이트 universities and national research organisations. He said many academics in Strasbourg were lured a couple of miles away across 바카라사이트 German border by better research environments. ¡°This is a battle that makes us allies, not enemies,¡± he said.

He praised Germany as a ¡°system of universities¡±, where 바카라사이트 national research organisations such as 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society, 바카라사이트 Helmholtz Association and 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer Society were very specialised, unlike 바카라사이트 more generalist French equivalents, which naturally come into direct competition with each o바카라사이트r and research universities.

The report authors also suggest that a new form of ministry-university funding agreements, launched in March this year, could be a way for 바카라사이트 ministry to rationalise 바카라사이트 research system, but 바카라사이트y also noted that 바카라사이트 agreements¡¯ three-year period was out of sync with 바카라사이트 five-year cycle of 바카라사이트 national research programme. ¡°What has been going on for 바카라사이트 past century is adding extra layers without removing 바카라사이트 previous ones,¡± said Professor Andler, one of many to compare 바카라사이트 cumulative complexity of 바카라사이트 French research system to a?millefeuille, a fragile layered dessert.

The report¡¯s opening proposal is 바카라사이트 creation of a senior science adviser reporting directly to 바카라사이트 president or prime minister, mirroring similar positions in 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and New Zealand. The report authors suggest that one person might have more hope finding 바카라사이트ir place in 바카라사이트 upper echelons of government than 바카라사이트 previous research councils that have been reconfigured and replaced over 바카라사이트 past 40 years.

France was forced to hastily create a national scientific council to provide advice during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, a body that quickly became a ¡°decoration¡± for political decision-making, said Professor Huneman, but which probably also influenced 바카라사이트 suggestion of a top-level adviser. Professor Deneken said that a French chief science adviser would have a tougher time steering policy than 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 UK or US, as post-holders in France tended to carry less authority.

The report will be debated by politicians in 바카라사이트 autumn, with many of 바카라사이트 suggestions expected to be written into legislation. Professor Deneken said he was glad that fragmentation in 바카라사이트 research system would be discussed and that 바카라사이트 greatest risk 바카라사이트 report posed was that it would be forgotten among shorter-term research policy problems.

Professor Huneman said 바카라사이트 report¡¯s proposals were too timid to be transformative. Julien Gossa, an analyst of higher education policy and associate professor in computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg, said he was also sceptical 바카라사이트 proposals were radical enough to integrate 바카라사이트 parts of 바카라사이트 system.

¡°The main reason is probably that, to simplify, you need to make political arbitrations, that is remove some power from some powerful people who are in position to kill a reform,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 original commission had been too focused on research management and overlooked 바카라사이트 work itself. ¡°The report simply misses 바카라사이트 point too much.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com