Background
The Slovak Presidency has among its priorities to foster talent with emphasis on young researchers, as they will be the new generation of scientists in Europe¹.
PRAccording to that and before the start of its presidency, the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EUin collaboration with the DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission, decided to create a working group of young researchers from different backgrounds, countries and at different stages of their professional career to come up with a document that will identify the main barriers that young researchers face at the beginning of their careers. YEAR network was contacted to be part of this group.
Process
After several face-to-face meetings, audioconferences and e-mails during several months, the working group finally finished the text of “the Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers”, which is a document that does not highlight the barriers but the young researchers’ aspirations. It also provides concrete proposals on how those aspirations could be implemented by the European Commission, the member states and the research institutions.
The text is supported by the results of the survey authored by Emília Petríková and carried out by YEAR, thus, we have you voice there. The complete results of the survey are available here.
Content
(Extract from the Bratislava Declaration of Young researchers³)
As a human endeavour for common good, scientific and scholarly research plays a special role in our European Union – one that has the ability to transform people and society. The passion, ideas and curiosity that young people bring to research sustain it. This declaration – written by young researchers – calls on Member States and the European Commission (EC) to recognise the special role that young researchers play and aspires to better enable them: great ideas and ability are divorced of age, gender, or nationality.
1. We aspire to enable great people to realise their ideas to understand and improve the world.
2. We aspire to sustainable and transparent career trajectories.
3. We aspire to a diverse, collaborative, inter-disciplinary, open, and ethical research environment.
4. We aspire to a healthy work-life balance.
Official presentation and next steps
The declaration was officially presented by the Minister of Education Peter Plavčan and Commissioner Carlos Moedas during the meeting of the Ministers for Competitiveness (Research) held in Brastilava² the 19th of July. The Declaration will be annexed to the Council conclusions for adoption at the Competitiveness Council that will take place in Brussels on the 29th of November 2016.
The group of writers keep on working on the promotion of the content of the declaration, trying to gather support and commitment from authorities to involve young researchers in the debates regarding future policies and are present at meetings with different working groups related to the DG Research and Innovation.
If you want to help us to change things, Endorse the Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers. With your help, we can advocate for concrete actions by policymakers to help realise those aspirations.
For more information or comments, please contact Clara Luján.
¹http://www.initiative-science-europe.org/2016fundinggap/ISE-funding-gap-Session5-Dusan-Sandor-presidency-priorities.pdf
²http://www.eu2016.sk/en/press-releases/ministers-for-competitiveness-call-on-support-for-a-new-generation-of-scientists-by-presenting-the-bratislava-declaration-on-young-researchers
³http://declaration.mimuw.edu.pl