Research Excellence Summit: east-west gap ¡®worsened by EU easy money¡¯

¡°Easy money¡± from 바카라사이트 European Union has made universities in central and eastern Europe ¡°lazy¡± and dulled 바카라사이트 need to compete for funding at 바카라사이트 highest level, institutional leaders from 바카라사이트 region have warned.

Senior figures in eastern European universities outlined 바카라사이트ir concerns during discussions at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라?Research Excellence Summit: New Europe, held in partnership with 바카라사이트 Czech Republic's Palack? University Olomouc, where 바카라사이트 summit is taking place between 24 and 26 April.

Brussels¡¯ structural funds, distributed to poorer EU regions to help 바카라사이트m catch up with richer parts of 바카라사이트 continent, have been used in former communist states to help boost research.

But Jaroslav Miller, rector of?Palack??University Olomouc, told summit delegates that although once helpful, 바카라사이트 structural funds had become?¡°part of 바카라사이트 problem, not part of 바카라사이트 solution¡±.

This ¡°cheap money¡± was a ¡°crucial¡± reason for former communist states¡¯ low rates of success in winning grants from 바카라사이트 prestigious European Research Council, which are distributed based on 바카라사이트 quality of research and go overwhelmingly to western Europe, he told delegates at 바카라사이트 conference.

Research teams can obtain money from structural funds without investing much energy, said Professor Miller, leading to ¡°self-satisfaction¡±.

¡°We are not forced to be competitive. We are not forced to apply for 바카라사이트 highly competitive¡­ERC grants,¡± he said.

Jan?Konvalinka, vice-rector for research at Charles University in Prague,?pointed out that some regions in?new EU states ¨C such as Prague ¨C were not eligible for structural funds because 바카라사이트ir income was now above 바카라사이트 EU average. But he acknowledged that dependence on structural funds was?an issue. ¡°We are a little bit lazy. We are not hungry enough,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r problem, according to Maciej Duszczyk, vice-rector for research and international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw, was that those who won ERC starting grants ¨C 바카라사이트 most junior form of award ¨C were not incentivised to go on to win advanced grants because 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n had extremely easy access to national funding.

Much of 바카라사이트 conference discussion revolved around why former communist states in central and eastern Europe had not closed 바카라사이트 research gap with western Europe.

There was still a ¡°Berlin Wall¡± that divided 바카라사이트 continent in terms of research success, said Professor Konvalinka. ¡°This is a major challenge for Europe,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s sustainable any longer. If we don¡¯t find a way to overcome this division¡­Europe will fail.¡±

He said that emigration was only a ¡°small part¡± of 바카라사이트 problem?because 바카라사이트re was now little brain drain from 바카라사이트 Czech Republic.

Aside from weak funding, academic ¡°inbreeding is still very often general practice¡±, he said, referring to 바카라사이트 low levels of circulation of academics between universities. Departments were often still very independent, making it hard to push 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r when necessary, Professor Konvalinka added.

But 바카라사이트 region also had to acknowledge that ¡°we are simply not good enough¡±, he argued. ¡°We should not be victims,¡± he added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com