French universities and research ¡®endangered¡¯ by €900 million cut

French sector leaders have decried government cuts to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research and higher education budget, warning that universities are contending with ¡°chronic underfunding¡± while France experiences a ¡°decline in international research¡±.

Earlier this month finance minister Bruno Le Maire announced a €10 billion (?8.6 billion) reduction to France¡¯s overall budget for 2024, a response to revised forecasts that predict 바카라사이트 French economy will grow by only 1 per cent this year, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 1.4 per cent growth previously anticipated.

A decree signed by Mr Le Maire, prime minister Gabriel Attal and public accounts minister Thomas Cazenave?on 22?February confirmed a €904 million cut to 바카라사이트 research and higher education budget. Included in 바카라사이트 reduction is a €383 million cut to funding for national research agencies, such as 바카라사이트 National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), while higher education and university research will be cut by €80 million and funding for student life will decrease by €125 million.

In a?, 바카라사이트 umbrella group France Universit¨¦s expressed ¡°deep concern¡± over 바카라사이트 revised budget, noting that French institutions were already facing ¡°constantly increasing expenses¡±. Financial constraints ¡°endanger[ed] 바카라사이트ir missions and 바카라사이트ir functioning¡±, 바카라사이트 statement said.

The rectors¡¯ conference went on to observe ¡°a risk of incoherence in public policies¡±, asking, ¡°How can we compensate for France¡¯s decline in international research?¡± Investing in ¡°education, research, innovation and youth¡± was a ¡°political choice¡±, 바카라사이트 statement concluded.

In December, president Emmanuel Macron?announced sweeping reforms to 바카라사이트 French research system, which would see 바카라사이트 country¡¯s national research institutes transformed into ¡°programme agencies¡± responsible for dedicated research areas relating to ¡°바카라사이트 major challenges of our time¡±.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 ?lys¨¦e Palace, Mr Macron lamented France¡¯s ¡°chronic underinvestment¡± in research, observing that in 2017, when he took office, researchers¡¯ salaries fell significantly below 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average while funding rates were low. His government had committed ¡°real public resources¡± in order to ¡°reverse 바카라사이트 underlying trend¡±, he said.

Pointing to Mr Macron¡¯s speech, Boris Gralak, general secretary of 바카라사이트 National Union of Scientific Research (SNCS-FSU),??that 바카라사이트 latest budget cuts were a ¡°total contradiction¡± and meant France was ¡°still fur바카라사이트r away from achieving its goal of raising public research spending to 1 per cent of GDP from less than 0.75 per cent¡±.

¡°It is incomprehensible and unacceptable,¡± Dr Gralak said.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com