N°30 I quarterly I july 2013 Live from the Labs | Spotlight 7 w facilities worldwide. The time has come to mutualize and optimize these large-scale installations. France’s share of funding from the European Commission Framework Programme has decreased from 16 to 11.6% between the FP6 and FP7. What can be done to reverse this trend? G.F.: That’s right. France, which provides 16.4% of the European Union’s total budget and is thus the second largest contributor after Germany, only receives €0.70 in return for every euro invested. And the problem does not lie in the quality of French projects: our 25.5% project acceptance rate is one of the highest in the EU—higher than that of Germany, for example. This may reflect insufficient mobilization by French teams when applying for European funding, which could be explained by the sharp increase in national calls for proposals over the past five years. I want to reverse this trend. I would like to encourage an approach that is consistently geared toward Europe, not only for funding, but also for the dissemination of French research in Europe and across the world. During the Horizon 20208 negotiations, I have been firmly committed to upholding the scientific priorities of France’s research organizations, along with promoting simplified rules to encourage the participation of public laboratories and SMEs. The new law for science and education proposes that French universities should have some programs taught in English. What do your foreign counterparts think of the idea? G.F.: My foreign counterparts are very pleased with our country’s decision to move toward greater openness. The globalization of universities and laboratories is an inevitable trend. Ten years ago, France was the world’s third largest host of foreign students. Since then, it has slipped to fifth place. Yet the quality of our training and research programs ought to drive us toward higher goals. This is an important cultural, linguistic, economic, and scientific challenge. The latest OECD report makes this very clear: given similar education standards and scientific reputation, the language used in the classroom is often a determining factor in choosing a host country. Adopting this measure means that our scientific and technological programs will become more attractive to young people from the emerging countries, who are bypassing France today because of the language barrier. Some 41% of our doctoral students are foreigners, but too few of them come from emerging countries. Why should we deprive ourselves of their talent, not to mention the intellectual, economic, and cultural exchanges that their presence would provide? Interestingly, the law stipulates that foreign students enrolled in degree programs in which French is not the only teaching language will receive specific training in French. At the same time, our exchanges with North and Sub-Saharan African countries (which account for 55% of foreign students in France) must be expanded. What other measures do you think are likely to attract students and researchers from abroad? G.F.: We need to make it easier for foreign students to come to France. Several measures have been incorporated in the law on higher education and research, and others will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior. They include multi-year visas for students and researchers, a specific status for students enrolled in a doctorate program in France—during and after their PhD thesis—simplified visa application processes, the renovation and construction of suitable student accommodation, and a single contact point for orientation and information on the main campuses. Hosting foreign students in our country is an invaluable asset towards bolstering France’s reputation for educational and scientific excellence. At the same time, it boosts our competitiveness and helps disseminate our language, culture, and values throughout the world. I strongly believe in defending our francophone heritage while remaining open to the outside world. 01. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. 02. European Organization for Nuclear Research. 03. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. 04. Institut Laue-Langevin. 05. European Molecular Biology Laboratory. 06. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. 07. Stratégie Nationale Infrastructures de Recherche 2012-2020. 08. A flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness. © B. Coutier
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