EUROSCIENCE 31 Newseuroscience: the VOICE of SCIENCE in EUROPE

EUROSCIENCE 31 newsEUROSCIENCE: THE VOICE OF SCIENCE IN EUROPE In this issue: News and Views: page 2 A tribute to John Ziman page 3 FP7 Revealed page 4 AlphaGalileo; The future of European Research page 5 New Institute in Croatia; Messages… page 6-7 ESOF 2006 page 8 EuroScience Work Groups Features: page 10 The future of the research information chain page 12 Sorry, Albert Einstein… researchers has been an significant page in European The European charter excellent example of positive history by coming out with the and enlightened thinking in first international Charter of its Brussels: we should salute it as kind. Other countries may well for researchers a real effort the Commission has look at this and wonder whether made to help young scientists, to they will need to do the same enhance their status and if they want to hold on to their visibility, and to give them a best researchers. Now, we need proper career, so often denied to to bring the Charter to attention For some months now, the Commission has contacted them at national level. They are of our colleagues and friends, Marie Curie External Advisory many stakeholders while we setting an example here, and it is to consult with each other and Group of the European drafted the Charter, and the clear that the Commission will be to gather responses. The Commission has been preparing document reflects, we hope, applying the principles of the implementation of the Charter an important Recommendation a broad consensus among the Charter themselves to scientists is a process. It will not happen entitled ‘The European Charter organisations consulted. This for Researchers’1. This document document, I think, demonstrates has now been signed by the in a tangible way that the incoming Commissioner Mr Janez Commission is truly concerned “First international charter Potocnik, and will be presented about the future of researchers, to the Council of Ministers of the and is taking positive steps to Member States for approval. improve it. In fact, the of its kind incorporates It is a Recommendation, not a atmosphere in the small group Directive, and formal approval which did the drafting was an ideas and principles of by the Governments should excellent one, and there were hopefully not take too long to no doubts in our minds about EuroScience” negotiate. It is hoped that this the importance of this task. It will occur during the British should, we believe, bring about a Presidency, and the Charter will revolution in the way researchers on European contracts and overnight: the documents need be the theme of the UK consider their own prospects Fellowships. That is surely to be discussed, to gain Presidency Conference on the and their position within European wonderful news for all of us. acceptance from the community 8th and 9th of September 2005. Society. Hopefully, it will do much So, next time somebody of researchers, and also to be to bring about a real change of complains to you about ‘Brussels criticised. Nothing is cast in It is clear that the Charter perception. It is accompanied bureaucracy’ remember the stone, and we can expect to incorporates a range of ideas and by a Code of Conduct, which Charter, and try to figure out see some changes, especially principles that EUROSCIENCE contains more detail on how the whether the bureaucracy is really in the sections that deal with has been advocating for a long fundamental principles of the coming from Brussels, or whether implementation, as a result of time. Indeed, those of you who Charter can be implemented. it was imposed by the ‘no the expected feedback. participated in the groundbreaking duplication’ rules which national Bischenberg Conference If I may add a more personal governments use to stop the So, please study what is written organised by EUROSCIENCE note here, I have found that Commission from doing things and give us your views. We will in 2002, and other conferences scientists have many friends at which they are claiming to do make sure that they are all taken such as the one in Lisbon in the level I am working in within already. into account, so that the final 20042, will recognise these the Commission. In fact, I believe outcome really fits what our aspects. Of course, the that the Commission is often I hope you will all agree with me community needs. blamed for problems which really that this document is a big step 1 see http://europa.eu.int/eracareers/ come from the protectionist forward, and that the Marie Curie Jean-Patrick Connerade europeancharter attitudes of national agencies. Committee, in partnership with President of 2 see Workgroup Report (Career Development), EUROSCIENCE at www.euroscience.org The European Charter for the Commission, has written a SPRING 2005 ES NEWS . PAGE 1 news & views scientist with strong views on Our personal paths crossed John M. Ziman, social responsibility, J. D. Bernal, several times. Although I never argued that it was the political had lectures from him as an work a scientist could do that undergraduate, his presence was FRS was the most important: if a felt by ‘rebel’ undergraduates. particular scientist didn’t do a Starting my research on liquids, particular bit of science, then his intellectual influence on my Most of us manage only one – He moved to the Chair in others would. But that was not own science was significant. But or perhaps one and a half – Theoretical Physics in Bristol in the case for the scientist’s social his main influence on me was professional lives. John Ziman, 1964. There he continued not and political actions – those much later when we interacted who died on January 2nd 2005, only his physics interests, but could not be left to others. Ziman through our common concerns successfully lived at least three. began to develop more his would presumably have agreed for things outside science. And the world is a better place second professional life with the spirit of Bernal’s for his having done so. concerned with social aspects of analysis, for he retired early from John put not only intellectual science. This second life had Bristol in 1982 and devoted the resources behind his convictions. Brought up in a farming family begun in Cambridge, where he rest of his life to his second and Through organisations such as near Cambridge in the North had edited the Cambridge Review third professional lives. But not Network for Social Change he Island of New Zealand, he took and written on social aspects of until he had produced what in was concerned to help – including his doctorate in Oxford, science and of being a scientist. my view is his greatest scientific financially – other organisations subsequently spending two years 1968 saw the publication of book. ‘Models of Disorder’ with their own social there as a junior lecturer in ‘Public Knowledge’, his first major (1979) is a masterly survey of transformation tasks. It was with mathematics. His professional life work on the social and the problem of disorder in all this hat on that we had our last as a theoretical physicist really philosophical issues surrounding kinds of condensed matter, from meeting on a warm summer’s day disordered solids to the much in 2004, discussing on his more difficult liquids. The field Buckinghamshire lawn how best was undergoing a renaissance to raise public awareness of at that time and it took someone nuclear weapons issues. We with Ziman’s broad scientific adjourned for lunch to a pub on insight to pull off such an the top of a hill in Brill, analysis. overlooking the vale towards Oxford. As relaxation from the His last two decades produced weightier issues that I had come many more influential works on to talk with him about, we the nature of scientific research, discussed my latest research its funding drivers and its ethical results on aqueous solution aspects, making us aware of the structures in which he retained a brutal realities of science in its strong interest. During the social context. But again he didn’t discussion, we noted the passing stay in the study – he was out on of a colleague who had worked the stomp, actively working on tirelessly to influence events as a ‘causes’ that he felt strongly concerned scientist, and John about. He worked courageously noted with some sadness that on behalf of Soviet refusniks. He ‘our’ ranks were decreasing: John Ziman at the EuroScience Biennial science. This side of his work was concerned about global ‘one more lost to the cause’. Meeting in Freiburg 2000: “EUROSCIENCE should speak for the grass developed further through not problems, and the scientist’s Little did I expect then that he roots scientists – those at the sharp end only his writing but his actions. responsibility to use his or her would be joining the ranks of who know what it’s like to have to produce a thesis in time”. He was one of the founders of expertise and knowledge to solve the sorely missed so soon. the Council for Science and these. He was involved with the took off when he moved to Society in 1973, a body he Pugwash movement, not only with We have lost one of the major Cambridge, England, as a lecturer chaired from 1976 to 1990. respect to the nuclear issue: the movers of the last 60 years. Not in Physics. It was in ten years last Pugwash Workshop he only one who moved theoretical there that he did much of his This was the third professional participated in was on Ethics and physics forward very significantly, groundbreaking research in life.

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