Editorial – Advising on Science

One essential question today is how much responsibility must scientists take in advising politicians on science policy issues and other society challenges.

In an article that appeared in EPN45/3 in 2014, entitled ‘Climate change can we afford to wait longer?‘ I expressed my personal view on the need to communicate on important and timely environmental issues. This was an easy process since this opinion was that of a single author. In the meantime, the EPS has published a position paper written by its…

Editorial – The On-Demand Society

“Welcome to EPS On-Demand, the always-on, online community for European physicists, delivering news, materials from EPS conferences or other events, and all types of resources for your specific needs, bringing answers to your questions in an interactive way” .

EPS letter to the president of the European Commission on the re-allocation of H2020 funds

The European Physical Society [EPS] has written a letter to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressing concern over the re-allocation of funds from the Horizon 2020 budget.
Research and development are key drivers of prosperity, and reducing Europe’s capacity to finance frontier research jeopardizes its ability to develop the future technology that will be important for economic growth, job creation, and addressing societal challenges.

UK Government to strengthen Science and Innovation

On 17 December 2014, the UK government presented its science and innovation strategy for 2016-2021 in its publication Our plan for growth: science and innovation. This document strongly supports a knowledge based economy, and the UK government is committing £5.9 billion capital to support scientific excellence from 2016 to 2021, the most long term commitment to science capital in decades. Investment in research and other forms of innovation helps businesses to reach higher productivity, create high quality jobs and develop new markets and services. In order to address the challenges ahead, the proposed plan is based on 6 elements: deciding priorities, nurturing scientific …

Editorial – The road to Brussels

Being elected in a new position is always a nice and enjoyable recognition, also for a scientist. Once the stress and uncertainty of the election are over, the candidate can concentrate on his new duty and prepare to face the coming challenges. The difference here with politicians is that he doesn’t need to manoeuvre during his term to please his electors or own party with empty promises motivated by his wish for re-election.
This being said, I feel really honoured and happy to serve the cause of the EPS in the coming years, first as President-elect and later as President. I would like to take this opportunity to thank…