apropos vancement of Science which has an im Robert Klapisch portant influence in the United Kingdom Public debate in matters regarding the public under On 15 April 1999, taking advantage of Euroscience standing of science; also the French Asso the campaign for the election of the Eu ciation Française pour l’Avancement des ropean Parliament, Euroscience orga cience is an important part of the Eu Science). But at the European cross-disci nized a public debate in Strasbourg in Sropean cultural heritage. It is an im plinary level, there is no such Association. France with Members of the European portant asset for Europe, in a world where In my opinion, the European commu Parliament. The meeting was chaired by politics and economy are increasingly be nity has not given birth to a body capable Ms. Elly Plooij-Van Gorsel MEP. If I coming global. The size of the European of defining (through internal debates) wanted to summarize in a nutshell the scientific enterprise can be represented as and expressing (by direct lobbying of Eu importance of this event, I would quote follows: according to OECD statistics ropean bodies) the viewpoint of the sci the reaction of MEP Christof Tannert there were in 1993 in the European Union entific community. This was the reason (Germany) who said: “We are used at 770 000 R&D workers of university grad behind the creation of Euroscience. the European Parliament to being lob uate level. The establishment of multi-national bied by various pressure groups (indus The total including other European Academies such as the Academia Eu- try, agriculture, etc). Flowever, we never countries except Russia in 1993 was ropæa should enable European official see any scientists. You should make your 884 000 and if we include Russia, Ukraine bodies to draw on top level expertise in voice heard; do come and lobby us.” etc, the evaluation comes close to that of the assessment of scientific and techno the US (963 000). Looking at the share of logical issues. But to join the Academy, Local meetings world scientific publications (as of 1995) you have to be invited. (Similarly, mem Euroscience is setting up local sections. we find 32.6% for the European Union, bership of other cross-disciplinary or The first of these is located in Geneva the total for Europe including Russia be ganisations is restricted: membership of and the neighbouring lake Leman re ing 36.7% compared to the United States the research councils association Euro- gion. It started in October 1997 with 33.9% and Japan 8.3%. horcs, for example, is open only to heads regular monthly meetings, and from At a time when a lot of important deci of research councils.) Euroscience is a time to time organizes public confer sions affecting the scientific enterprise voluntary association, open to all. It is the ences. The first conference in October are being taken at a European level, such place where the voice of an individual sci 1997 was a report on science and tech an important community needs a channel entist will be heard. nology assessment by the French Par by which it can express its views. Euroscience was formally created in liament. A further one in May 1998 was Look at the United States. The Ameri March 1997 by 237 founding members a debate on genetically modified organ can Association for the Advancement of from 26 countries. The Association drew isms in agriculture. And since April Science (AAAS) was founded 150 years in over 1000 members from 41 countries 1999 “Euroscience Leman” has started a ago, has 140 000 members and includes in the first two years. well-attended science café and also a more than 300 American learned soci Its membership includes not only sci working group on relations between re eties. It has a budget of some $50 million, entists but a broad spectrum of those in search and industry. Several other local edits the well known weekly magazine terested in the scientific enterprise and its or national sections are presently being Science and organizes annual meetings impact on today’s world: engineers, indus set up (Finland, Upper Rhine, Romania, attended by over 5000 participants. The trialists, newspeople, educators and gener Georgia, South East England, Russia, 150th anniversary meeting in February ally concerned citizens. Its scope covers Estonia, Central Sweden, Italy). 1998 heard an address by President Clin not only physical and life sciences but also ton who announced important scientific social sciences. It will strive to integrate What is a science café? initiatives. the scientific communities all over Europe The initiative for science cafés should AAAS is a very influential lobby group and provide a structure which helps foster be credited to the French Physical Soci to the US Congress. It has also been en a fruitful dialogue with bodies in charge ety who, during its annual meeting in dowed—by contract—with the task of of decisions at the European level: the Eu Paris in July 1997 held a well attended analysing each year American outlays on ropean Commission and Parliament, na bar des sciences with volunteer special science in all the different sectors and in tional governments and funding agencies. ists at hand to answer questions from stitutions, and it publishes authoritative It also wants to set-up a dialogue with its the public. The success in France has reports to that effect. In addition to a per equivalent partners in America, Asia and been such that in March 1999 the soci manent staff, the Association elects each any part of the world. We do not feel we ology institute at the University of year as President a prestigious personali are in competition with other European Lyons held a workshop to analyze the ty (often a Nobel prize winner) who is bodies, and we seek collaboration. phenomenon. The Leman section of Eu able to access the highest levels of Con It will be sometime before Euroscience roscience began a series of cafés in gress and Government to pass the most can mobilize anything near the resources Geneva in April 1999. important messages that the scientific available to the AAAS. But if membership community has been able to define. continues its healthy growth (the dou Officials Now look at Europe. Learned societies bling time is presently some 12 months in President Claude Kordon (France, neuro organized by discipline exist at a national some European countries) then Euro scientist); Vice-Presidents Jerzy Langer and at a European level. On a cross-disci science will affirm itself as a valid inter (Poland, physicist), Wilhelm Krull (Secre plinary basis there are a few countries locutor. tary General of the Volkswagen Founda where Associations for the Advancement tion); Secretary General Françoise of Science exist with various degrees of The author is an honourary senior physicist at Praderie (France, astronomer); Treasurer success and activities (the most visible CERN and a research director of CNRS. He can be Simon Mitton (UK, scientific publisher) being the British Association for the Ad contacted via [email protected]
132 europhysics news november/december 1999