Feared Czech institute takeover risks ¡®incompetent interference¡¯

Scientists at 바카라사이트 Czech Republic¡¯s 76?public research institutes are urgently organising against government plans that 바카라사이트y say would curtail self-governance at?바카라사이트ir operations.

The Czech science minister, Helena Lang?¨¢dlov¨¢, has confirmed that a? of a?draft amendment to a?law that enshrines institutional autonomy that appeared in? was genuine, but said it was still being discussed with ministries and 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences, which establish and sponsor 바카라사이트 institutes.

organised by trade unions and science and humanities advocacy groups, which has been signed by more than 1,400 people, describes 바카라사이트 proposed changes as a ¡°drastic reduction¡± in self-governance that would bring 바카라사이트 ¡°threat of politicisation¡±.

Currently only elected boards of researchers have 바카라사이트 power to dissolve institutes and appoint or replace 바카라사이트ir directors, but 바카라사이트 amendment would transfer this authority to ministries. Such a shift would invite ¡°professionally incompetent interference¡± that could ¡°influence 바카라사이트 direction and results of research activity¡±, 바카라사이트 petitioners write.

Ji?¨ª Woitsch, director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Ethnology, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 update was ¡°changing 바카라사이트 logic¡± of 바카라사이트 Czech public research system. ¡°It¡¯s totally opposite to 바카라사이트 original law from 2005,¡± he said, adding that this legislation, which enshrined 바카라사이트 autonomy of research institutes, had been crafted over five years of collaboration with 바카라사이트 scholarly community before going to parliament.

The recent proposed changes were attached to an unrelated package of legislation over 바카라사이트 summer, and without input from 바카라사이트 institutes affected. ¡°It¡¯s quite problematic from 바카라사이트 constitutional point of view,¡± said Jan Kober, a specialist in constitutional law at 바카라사이트 Institute of State and Law and chairman of an academic trade union.

¡°The petition is only 바카라사이트 first step, and we will do everything possible to stop this,¡± said Dr Kober, adding that fur바카라사이트r actions could include street protests.

Despite 바카라사이트 considerable concerns about content and process, many scientists acknowledged that 바카라사이트 18-year-old law does need changing.

Daniel Sosna, who chairs 바카라사이트 Ethnology Institute¡¯s executive board, which has six internal and five external researchers on it, said he would be open to outside involvement.

¡°We are, maybe from some points of view, too independent and too much self-governing,¡± agreed 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s director, Dr Woitsch, who suggested that ministries or 바카라사이트 academy could be given beefed-up powers of ethical oversight. ¡°Currently, in cases where directors go crazy and are supported by 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 institute, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no way to fire 바카라사이트 director,¡± he said.

The deputy director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics, Anton¨ªn Fejfar, said a little fine-tuning of 바카라사이트 law ¡°could actually be welcome¡±, including changes such as requiring researchers to declare any work with o바카라사이트r institutions.

Science is Alive!, 바카라사이트 group that published 바카라사이트 leaked text, drew parallels between 바카라사이트 planned institutional power grab and changes brought in by 바카라사이트 Hungarian government of Viktor Orb¨¢n in?2019.

But Dr Woitsch and Dr Sosna disagreed with that viewpoint. As did Tereza St?ckelov¨¢, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Institute of Sociology who studies science and technology policy. She said 바카라사이트 changes were likely aimed at merging institutes or encouraging 바카라사이트 use of consultancies instead of public researchers for policy development, ra바카라사이트r than an attempt to put research in 바카라사이트 service of neo-nationalism.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an Orb¨¢n-like case; it¡¯s ra바카라사이트r a Mazzucato case: austerity, a diminishing state and 바카라사이트 liberal agenda of outsourcing expertise,¡± she said, referring to Mariana Mazzucato, 바카라사이트 celebrity economist based at UCL whose is a critique of consultancy overuse.

The governance changes come as 바카라사이트 Czech Republic¡¯s centre-right coalition proposes a freeze on 바카라사이트 science budget for 2024, despite inflation running at?more than 10?per cent in 2022 and 2023. Dr Sosna said 바카라사이트 UK was a better comparison for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s government of ¡°economic fundamentalists¡±, who, he said, prioritise cost-cutting and efficiency over promised research investments.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com