Slovenian Research Agency |
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Initial
thoughts at the beginning of the term of office
It so happens that I am assuming the leadership of the
Slovenian Research Agency at the beginning of the new term of office of the
European Commission. In the speech before the European Parliament, the recently
appointed Commissioner of Research, Science and Innovation stressed the need to
strengthen research and innovation policies in the EU Member States, which I
understand as an incentive, namely the researchers with a well-regulated
research-innovation environment in their countries are usually more successful
in the race for European research funds.
Together with the competent ministry, the Council for Science
and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia initiated the evaluation of the
implementation of the Research Innovation Strategy of the RS 2011-2020 (RISS) in
these days. The implementation of the measures of the scientific and innovation
policy was transferred to the Agency with the adoption of the Strategy by the
National Assembly of the RS in 2011. I am aware that in terms of implementation,
the activities of the ARRS have a strong and even dominant impact on a number of
indicators reflecting the performance of the RISS. The competent ministry plays
a central role in the design of the research-innovation policy whereas the
Agency plays a sensitive role of an efficient and independent policy implementer.
With a new term of office, the professional public is often
divided on the road between the desire for change and the expectations of
stability and predictability. In this dynamics, I bet on a dialogue with all
stakeholders and on transparent implementation of the decisions coordinated with
the bodies such as the Scientific Council of the Agency and scientific councils
of individual disciplines and the Management Board which makes sure that the
Agency acts in the public interest. A consensus and only in exceptional
circumstances a compromise is needed in the implementation of decisions in
complex environments such as research-innovation environment where legitimate
interests can be quite diverse or even opposing.
A scientist forms an opinion on his personal and societal
position mainly on the basis of his judgement of the possibilities for work and
the attitude of the society towards knowledge. Therefore, the ARRS is here to
enable the first and improves the second. In the given situation, it needs to
take care of a transparent and predictable system of funding and fair criteria
for the allocation of public funds. The phrase “in the given situation” in the
previous sentence is not a blandishment but calls for adequate attention of the
political decision-makers to turn the curve of financing which has been falling
ever since 2011 upwards. Namely, this is the basis of the necessary
predictability of the Agency’s activities and the conditions for successful work
of the researchers and institutions in which they work.
I would like to thank all who expressed their confidence in
me in my candidacy for the director of the ARRS.
Prof. Dr. József Györkös
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