91997E3523

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3523/97 by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission (12 November 1997)

Subject: Reforms pending in university research

Nature magazine (Vol. 388, 31 July 1997) has reported that the British Government is drawing up new responses to higher education, where both improved facilities and changes in the attitude of academics are required in order to restore the trust between scientific communities and governments.

The main themes set out in the Dearing report, which can be expected to resurface in a forthcoming White Paper, are not exclusive to the United Kingdom. Guaranteeing the quality and appropriateness of fundamental research, ensuring that similar value is attached in universities to achievements in teaching as well as in research, allowing for sufficient administrative costs in research, modernizing equipment and securing the participation of industry are tasks facing all the governments of the European Union and of other advanced economies.

Can the Commission provide information on reforms and studies similar - to those described above for the United Kingdom - now in progress in Europe, the United States and Japan?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (13 January 1998)

The Commission is active in the Organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) group on the science system, which has been investigating precisely this issue for the past two years. Countries which have actively analysed their own university research and development (R& D) system and made their conclusions available to the OECD group include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, United States, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

The issues covered by the report include declining government revenue, the changing nature of public finance, increasing use of industrial R& D funds, economic relevance, systemic linkages, internationalization and personnel issues.

Final contributions to the report are now in the process of being gathered. It is hoped to increase coverage and also to update important issues of changes that were noted by Japan, Germany, Hungary and Finland in the past and current year.

The final version of the report will be available by the end of May 1998, at which time it is expected to have been de-restricted by OECD for circulation.

In addition to the OECD work, a number of activities are about to be launched under the targeted socio-economic research programme of the 4th framework programme for R& D ((COM(92) 459 final. )). A list of main projects is sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.