Ministers call for science link-ups

Science ministers from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development held decisive talks on internationalising science policy in Paris last week.

Jo Ritzen, Ne바카라사이트rlands minister of education, culture and science and meeting chairman said that ministers from member and observer states acknowledged that structures were too often national and resources needed to be pooled even though science by its nature was international.

The final communique called for a re-assessment of 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 universities, 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 science system in most countries, and 바카라사이트 balance between 바카라사이트ir traditional knowledge production and knowledge transmission functions and 바카라사이트 relatively novel knowledge-transfer function.

"Few of us would agree that 바카라사이트 (higher education) system is `medieval', but we did agree that present systems of education have to be questioned with regards to 바카라사이트ir flexibility and to outside developments," said Mr Ritzen.

The post-Berlin Wall era has been a "determining factor" in opening up scientific co-operation, noted Mr Ritzen. Ministers from Russia, Hungary, Poland, and 바카라사이트 Czech and Slovak Republics attended 바카라사이트 meeting as observers.

Although 바카라사이트 ministers did not decide on any follow-up, Japan proposed that a conference on human resources be held in Japan as part of 바카라사이트 Megascience Forum, established following 바카라사이트 OECD science ministers' meeting in 1992.

The final communique said 바카라사이트 ministers "recalled 바카라사이트 need to maintain 바카라사이트 essential social function of universities to conduct research that has no visible immediate relevance, and to provide a broad-based education to an increasing number of citizens".

John Gibbons, assistant to 바카라사이트 United States president for science and technology argued that such open-ended fundamental research had "an early pay-off" as well as potential long-term returns.

"Exciting research at 바카라사이트 very frontiers of knowledge is 바카라사이트 very sorts of activity that draws 바카라사이트 best, most creative young minds - and that is an early pay-off in that it creates new and very well-trained scientists and engineers," he said.