SSH in Horizon 2020
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Newsletter ALLEA Issue 1 / 2013 ALL E uropean A cademies SSH in Horizon 2020 Perspectives for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Research and Infrastructures in Europe Dear Reader, Content 2013 is a decisive year for the future Academy, a research infrastructure of science and research in Europe. The conference that ALLEA co-organises on Board/Presidency deliberations on the future European the invitation of the European Strategy 2 The ALLEA Board framework programme for research and Forum for Research Infrastructures Members innovation, Horizon 2020, are currently (ESFRI) and the launch of a survey and in their final phase and the Commission analysis project on basic social sciences 3 ALLEA Board Meeting seeks to accomplish the European and humanities research, ALLEA has quite Roundtable with EASAC Research Area until 2014. For ALLEA, it a say in this context and is regarded as and Academia Europaea has - until now - already been a very busy a trusted and renowned advisor to the 4 Fact Finding Commission year with numerous activities related to European decision makers. 5 Visit of Kosova Academy the current science policy developments 6 70th anniversary of NASRA in Europe but also beyond: In the future, the ALLEA newsletter 7 Academy lecture at TÜBA portrays three times a year the most Earlier this year we came together in important activities conducted by Berlin for our 14th General Assembly, our Working Groups, the Board and Focus: SSH in Horizon 2020 our Working Groups organised meetings Presidency as well as selected joint 8 “The hardware of society, and conferences, issued statements and activities of ALLEA member academies. on which all other made recommendations regarding the Each issue addresses a focal topic of high Siences depend“ conditions for science and research in relevance for science and research in 9 Interview with Günter Europe, the ALLEA Board and Presidency Europe in general and for the Academies Stock have been working on pressing issues for in particular. In its digital format you 11 Mapping Basic SSH the future of our European federation of can make use of related background Research in Europe Academies which – since our last annual information accessible via numerous links 12 SSH Infrastructure Conference meeting – comprises 55 members from in the articles. 43 countries. Since this actual issue is the first one ALLEA Working Groups In order for you to get detailed insights and thus covers more information 13 Science and Ethics into what has been done, what is being and a longer period of time it is more 14 Intellectual Property Rights planned and how our activities evolve comprehensive than the upcoming Science Education we have revived the idea of an ALLEA issues. Nonetheless, I hope you will find 15 E Humanities newsletter. This first issue focuses on the time for an enjoyable lecture of the the perspectives for Social Sciences articles and reports on the following Miscellaneous and Humanities (SSH) research and pages. infrastructures in Europe against the 16 General Assembly 2013 background of the above mentioned With kindest regards, 18 Imprint, Next Topic science policy developments. With dedicated and continuous efforts including namely the activities of our Working Group on Social Sciences and Günter Stock Humanities, so ably led by the British ALLEA President Board / Presidency The ALLEA Board 2012-2014 Günter Stock Daniela Jezova Ed Noort (President/Chair) (Vice President) (Vice President) Union of the Slovak Academy Royal German Acade- of Sciences Netherlands mies of Sciences Academy of Arts and Humanities, and Sciences Berlin- Branden- burg Academy of Sciences and Humanities Oivind Carlo D’Adda The ALLEA Board comprises eight Andersen Accademia members, elected biennially by the Norwegian Nazionale dei General Assembly, and the Presi- Academy of Lincei, Italy dent who chairs the Board. The Science and Vice Presidents are elected from Letters among the members of the Board. The President of EASAC is invited to the meetings of the ALLEA Board as a guest. The ALLEA Board for 2012 – 2014 was elected on the occasion of the General Assembly in Rome on Peter Kennedy Nikolay G. 12 April 2012. It has 3 - 4 regular The Royal Irish Miloshev meetings a year. Academy Bulgarian Academy Find regularly updated information of Sciences about the Board on the ALLEA Website. UPCOMING MEETINGS December 2013 Lisbon Jürg Pfister Menahem Swiss Academies Yaari March 2014 of Arts and Israel Academy Brussels Sciences of Sciences and Humanities September 2014 tbc December 2014 Jerusalem - 2 - Board / Presidency ALLEA Board Meeting in Wrocław, Poland On the occasion of the 25th anniversary conference of Academia With deep sorrow and regret we received the message of the unexpected Europaea, the ALLEA Board held its death of our colleague in the Board of ALLEA, the Scientific Secretary- third regular meeting in the running General of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences year in the city of Wrocław, Poland, on 16 September 2013. Professor Eugene Nickolov. ALLEA President Günter Stock opened the meeting with words in We have known Professor Nickolov as an outstanding scientist and science the memory of Eugene Nickolov, manager and always appreciated his invaluable and thought-provoking delegate of the Bulgarian Academy contributions, his well-chosen arguments and comments and his support of Sciences to the ALLEA Board, who for the idea of a European intellectual community. We have lost a dear unexpectedly and tragically had colleague who will be greatly missed and we pay tribute to his memory. passed away in July 2013. The Board kept a minute of silence and paid The ALLEA Board tribute to his memory. In addition to reports about recent Further topics included a science that scientifically based policy advice and on-going activities of Presidency policy workshop, attended by would need to include societal aspects and Working Groups and on the ALLEA ALLEA President Günter Stock on of future challenges also in the field of budget for 2013, issues discussed the invitation of EuroCASE with the technology. ALLEA was seen as a very in the meeting included new and Joint Research Council (JRC) and relevant actor and natural partner for pending membership applications, high level officials from numerous this endeavour. the scientific programme for the EC directorate generals as well as General Assembly 2014 and the with the Chief Scientific Advisor to The participants also addressed the launch of ALLEA activities funded EC President Barroso, Professor Anne governmental ambitions in Russia by the German Federal Ministry Glover. EuroCASE, recently under new to restructure the national science for Education and Research, leadership of Reinhard Hüttl (acatech, system and reiterated their concern namely an investigation project Germany), showed an increasing that the intended legislative changes addressing basic SSH research and interest in close ties between the two represent a negative impact on the research infrastructure in Europe academy organisations in Europe. future position of the Russian ALLEA (conducted by ALLEA and the Union member, the Russian Academy of of German Academies of Sciences Günter Stock reported how the Sciences (RAS), particularly as regards and Humanities) as well as the co- workshop revealed the Commissions its independent functioning on the organisation of an ESFRI-conference desire to hear the European basis of scientific excellence and by ALLEA in late 2013. Academies speak with one voice and autonomy. Intensified Collaboration Roundtable discussion of ALLEA, EASAC and Academia Europaea in Wroclaw In the context of the 25th anniversary and the European Academies ALLEA President Günter Stock and conference of Academia Europaea, Science Advisory Council (EASAC) Vice President Ed Noort, EASAC representatives of the three assembled for a roundtable President Sir Brian Heap and European academy organisations discussion on 16 September President elect Jos van der Meer – Academia Europaea (AE), All 2013 ahead of the conference all long standing members of the European Academies (ALLEA) programme. Academia Europaea – followed an - 3 - Board / Presidency invitation of AE President Lars Walloe a joint letter of and foreign secretary Jerzy Langer to concern to the discuss an intensified collaboration heads of state and of the three organisations in order to governments in strengthen the position of academies Europe issued in the in Europe in general and towards EU context of expected authorities in Brussels in particular. cuts in the EU budget for research Joint letter of support for research budget in Europe The discussions followed up on and innovation (11/2012) by Academia Europaea, ALLEA and EASAC earlier meetings of the three in the previous Presidents initiated in 2012. Previous year. The next meeting is planned upcoming EASAC Council meeting in cooperation had led inter alia to to take place on the occasion of the early December 2013 in Rome. Fact Finding Commission ALLEA delegation visits Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) and The Science Academy, Istanbul (SAI) Left photo (from left): ALLEA Vice President Professor Ed Noort, Board member Professor Peter Kennedy, SAI President Professor Mehmet Ali Alpar, ALLEA President Professor Günter Stock; right photo: TÜBA President Professor Ahmet Acar (left) with ALLEA delegation On 25 – 27 September 2013 a Issues addressed in the meetings Procedure for admission to ALLEA delegation of the ALLEA Board focused on recent legislative changes visited the Turkish Academy