At two major European research sites outside the EU, people are concerned about prestige, money and career opportunities.
Following the failure of the Structure Agreement, Switzerland is no longer a member of the “Horizon Europe” – EU Research and Innovation Program. This has repercussions: In a recent federal study, most of the researchers surveyed said they felt a “bad” in their work since being excluded.
The situation is similar in Great Britain. According to experts, the country is in danger of losing its top international position in research.
The research community complains unanimously (almost)
Nearly 900 researchers and inventors from universities, institutes and other institutions took part in a study conducted in February by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). They wanted to know how Switzerland’s so-called “unrelated third country” status would affect their work.
As SERI’s media spokesman Simon Keller explained when asked, the results were relaxed, but not surprising. Above all, he emphasizes the networking aspect. A large number of researchers in particular said their international networks have become smaller.
Myth:
Implications for the economy
In Switzerland, a large number of start-ups are being created, especially around the university landscape. However, in the future, young talents may increasingly decide against Switzerland.
The main stone
In addition to personal careers, it also has an impact on research, because local scientists are still allowed to participate in Horizon Europe’s joint ventures, but are not allowed to lead them, even in the worst case scenario. “A lot of time, money and prestige can be lost that way,” Keller says.
The “superpower” Great Britain is also affected
The situation is similar in Great Britain. After Brexit, the homeland of the two elite universities, Cambridge and Oxford, was no longer part of the European research collaboration. Martin Smith, of the academic think tank “Welcome”, regrets this and sees the similarities between Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Politics stands in the way of science.
“We hope the UK will be a member of the Horizon again soon,” he said. However, no agreement has been reached at present.
Great Britain seeks to maintain its status as an “educational superpower” internationally. However, in Smith’s view, if you are excluded from Horizon, it will fail in the long run. The brightness of the program is very large. “In the future, countries like South Africa or Canada may be involved. It is questionable whether Great Britain can continue.
National programs help – but small
For this reason, “Welcome” puts pressure on the EU and national governments. The company is one of the signatories to the “Stick to Science” initiative, which includes several Swiss universities. “Like our Swiss colleagues – we believe that research knows no national boundaries.
Meanwhile, both Switzerland and the United Kingdom are trying to offset the loss of the “Horizon Network” with alternative plans. Last but not least, the results of the SERI survey show that researchers do not see these as a complete alternative to the no longer used European network.
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