How to attract young people into science: role of funding, infrastructure, topics Pavel Chráska

1. How to attract young people into science: role of funding, infrastructure, topics Pavel Chráska Institute of Plasma Physics ASCR, v.v.i. Prague, CR Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009

2. How to attract young people into science: role of funding, infrastructure, topics Outline 1. Introduction and general remarks 2. Financial support 3. Research infrastructure 4. Research topics 5. Summary Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/2

3. How to attract young people into science: role of funding, infrastructure, topics Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/3 • 1. Introduction and general remarks • A. Personal experience • growing up during the communist times limited freedom for selection of own future; (affirmative actions, planned “outputs” ... = social engineering)‏ • as a child from a Christian middle class family  originally labeled for nothing more than basic elementary education and a “blue” collar; eventually allowed to finish a high school and to enter a university – but selected technical fields ONLY;  Materials Engineering at the Czech Technical University  Dipl.-Ing. (≈M.Eng.); • end of the sixties = “Prague Spring”  a niche used by many people to get out of thecountry; I have received a fellowship from W.M.Rice University in Houston, TX, U.S.A to pursue PhD; • after return to Prague = period of frustration: NO high-quality leadership; NO interesting research topic; NO top research infrastructure; NO unrestricted scientific collaboration, but prescribed one only; etc;

4. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 1. Introduction and General remarks (cont.) • B. Basic frame • NO state (governmental) social engineering such as “affirmative actions”, etc., but equal opportunity for everybody; • NO state (governmental) imposed constrains such as: quotas for a given field of study – humanities, law, science, engineering,...; preferred collaboration partners but equal opportunity (“old” and “new” EUmembers); • STOP to growing bureaucracy, often actually creating “barriers”; • ⊗ • NEED for international exchange of young people to broaden their world view; • NEED for limited and considerate brain drain onlyamong business/countries; • NEED for solidarity – not taking advantage from the local present situation, but giving a long-term prospect; “win – win” at the end; • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/4

5. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 2. Financial support • A. Education • Basic hypothesis:to fulfill two general “needs” = equal opportunity + international exchange • there must be asubstantial change in thinkingofacademic institutions and “business” (as well) in EU bringing in • widely accessible financial support schemes • Illustration from my experience: • 40 years ago: trying to get a stipend for my study abroad: no real offer from Europe ⊗ 13 offers from US universities; • during last 15 years: no success in placing my students in Europe (with reasonable financial support) ⊗ 10 students placed in the US + 2 students in Singapore; (return rate 50%); • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/5

6. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 2. Financial support - A. Education (cont.) • Facts: • In CR: (with exception) foreign students must pay tuition and other fees unless they study in Czech; limited support trough embassies, foreign governments; • according to my knowledge the situation is similar in many other countries = limited number of fully supported students positions; • U.S.A and several (not too many) countries: usually not charging tuition to graduate students – but offering stipends, fellowships, part time employment at the campuses, etc. • Reasons, problems: • “real” one = limited budgets of academic institutions; • “legalistic” one = complicated laws/constrains for staying of aliens  partial help via “Schengen”; • “mental” one = protectionism, various phobias, etc. • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/6

7. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 2. Financial support(cont.)‏ • B. Employment, working experience • Over-all assessment:slightly better situation than in education • various mobility schemes under EU programs; • industrial stipends • Problems: • very intensive brain drain; • number of post-doc positions at academia is still often non-sufficient; • legal constrains on employment are rather supporting brain drain; • non-competitive salaries – inside EU; EU x world; business x academia • General comments: non-Europe education, working experience - in comparison to EU • stresses “targeted” research, utilization of research results, etc.  leading more to entrepreneurial mindset • leads to higher “working efficiency” • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/7

8. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 3. Research infrastructure • Basic hypothesis: Modern – up-to-date – infrastructure can bring in people at all levels • Illustration from my experience: • 20 years ago: my frustration on then research topics was largely suppressed by acquired new top research tools (or maybe “toys”?); • during last 10 years: two large infrastructures of the “international class” - e.g. one of the largest European laser (Prague Asterix Laser System PALS) and “brand new” tokamak COMPASS laboratory, generated huge interest – not only grad students, but undergrad as well – even high school kids are interested, asking for possibility to do “something” at these laboratories; • even plans for up-grading laboratories immediately stabilizes the staff – especially at the “middle age” group and youngsters (“offering future”)‏ • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/8

9. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 3. Research infrastructure (cont.)‏ • Example: • foundation of the “Institute of Applied Sciences” = a joint establishment of several institutes of the Academy of Sciences and of the Czech Technical University and its project (pending for approval), planning to create several world top research laboratories in a few selected fields, like “Nanoscience”, “High energy chemistry”, etc., has helped to “lay up at home” scientist who might otherwise end at other world top laboratories; • in the planning stage are also other large infrastructures in CR, creating real interest among students and young scientists • Problems: • non-uniform distribution of large facilities in EU, given by the history; there is a chance for partial remedy („ESFRI Road map“); “new” countries however detect certain reserve (or even reluctance?) to yield up some larger centers to them !! • limited financial funds at present – at the local level but, at present, even at EU level (e.g. Euratom) • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/9

10. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 4. Research topics‏ • Basic hypothesis:(Young) people must see the purpose, goal of a given research task • Illustration from my experience: • 35 years ago: continuous frustration from an outdated, dull and superfluous work – my boss was unwilling (rather unable) to offer any reason for that but “it is planned”  twice I was to change the job; after administrative changes I started “my own” new topic  I have continued in science; • Emphasis on motivation of people • a need “to sell” the topic; to show, how it fits into wider effort in the given field; what might be the results and how they can be used; target !! • importance on however particular and small results • Problem: need for modern and efficient leadership – for instance: • very often there is missing a broader view for people, i.e. the importance of the research field, what the lab is doing and what is her position in the international effort (if any!); • a particular subject is solicited with no apparent connection to real life or other research • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/10

11. How to attract young people into science: • role of funding, infrastructure, topics • 5. Summary • 1. Need for “international” education – to immerse young people into various cultural and scientific background, to let them see different approaches to research, etc. • 2. In order to fulfill No.1, there is a need for change in thinking • about financing education; to make widely available financial support for study of aliens; 50% “return rate” still pays off, bringing new approaches, ideas, connections for collaboration, etc. • about possible modification of education to more entrepreneurial mindset • 3. To abolish many legal restrictions and unnecessary regulations for mobility • 4. To counter the brain drain by increasing the international programs supporting high - quality labs (by grants) in their home country, including offer of support for scientists from the “more developed” countries to work in the “less developed” countries • 5. Use of ESFRI Road map to build some large infrastructure in “new” countries • 6. To form a new, modern group of leaders – even by international exchange of people • Researchers in Europe without Barriers Prague, April, 2009/11