Appeal for Romanian science =========================== The purpose of this appeal is to draw attention to the devastating effect of the current brain-drain on Romanian science, and to suggest ways in which Western scientists and funding organisations could mitigate it with a relatively modest outlay of effort and money. The problem =========== Romania has almost unique strengths in several areas of intellectual activities, and supplies any number of top scientists to Western universities. Its high school and undergraduate program are still among the strongest in the world, and its graduates are eagerly sought after by US and European universities, and increasingly also by computer and software companies. Of math students at Bucureshti alone, the top 20 students are offered places abroad, in many cases even before graduation; just imagine how Harvard or the Ecole Normale or Cambridge UK would fare in such a regime. The Romanian academy and the faculties of their universities also feature high quality researchers, but the group is greying -- there is practically no-one under 50 left to teach the younger generation. Economically speaking, Romania is uniquely disadvantaged among the candidates for EU membership. The salary of an established university lecturer is likely to me no more than US$250 a month, at a time when the cost of living is rapidly converging to Western levels. It is quite probable that the economy has finally bottomed out, and is set to grow over the next 20 years (possibly somewhat unevenly); however, this will certainly take a long time to feed through to basic science, and there is a very real fear that by the time Romania is on its feet again, and (say) can satisfy the criteria for EU membership, its magnificent scientific schools will have disappeared from the face of the earth. Quite apart from issues of morality or human solidarity or fairness, there are at least three imperative reasons of pure self-interest for the West to support Romanian science. First, to preserve what is unarguably an extraordinarily fruitful training ground for young recruits into Western science. Second, to foster the eventual emergence in Romania of a strong economic partner with its excellent scientific tradition still in place. Finally, preserving a solid educational system and intellectual tradition could provide an effective bulwark against demagoguic and nationalistic politics of the extreme right or left that could well emerge as a threat to peace in the region; the pen, after all, is likely to be considerably cheaper than the sword. What can be done about it? ========================== a. "Return to Romania" fellowships. At present, one hears repeatedly from many Romanian postdocs in Western universities that they would like to return to their country home, but that this is absolutely impossible for financial reasons. In many such cases, a very modest stipend would make all the difference. (Estimated price tag: US$1,000 a month in living expenses plus US$200 research expenses and a similar amount for the host institution, total US$16,800 per year. To last for 3 or 4 years per individual, possibly with intermission to allow foreign travel. Such a program already exists, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s scheme "Return to Romania": www.irex.org/programs/rtr but much more is needed.) b. Romanian scientific centres need small-scale financial help from the West to develop bilateral partnerships with other former communist countries, such as their closest neighbours Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, etc. The point is that there is tremendous scope here for mutual help in a context in which the brain-drain is not such a serious issue. Since two countries stand to benefit, this would be a doubly effective use of Western money. As a somewhat longer shot, a very modest outlay would even allow Romanian universities to replace some of their own lost generation of graduate students with recruits from countries such as Cuba, Vietnam and (eventually) North Korea. c. Finally, the importance of direct scientific collaboration should not be overlooked: inviting senior Romanians to Western conferences, and visiting them in return. For those of us that have enjoyed the company, and benefited from the scientific abilities of Romanian graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, it seems particularly appropriate to return the compliment to the schools that produced them. Note: Romanian scientists currently receive grants from the West under a number of projects, and they are very grateful for this help. For example, Romania participates as an EU "associated state" in EU Framework 5 scientific networks and projects. On the positive side, this means that they already have some resources, such as adequate computing facilities, and the experience of managing grants. They are thus in a good position to benefit from the kind of financial help advocated above. The problem with the present grants is that they are always tied down by legal restrictions, so that they cannot be used where most needed, for example, to give their young people "Return home" fellowships. In addition, EU money (e.g., fellowship and conference money) is in large measure restricted to researchers under 35, with the unintended consequence that essentially no resident Romanian scientist can benefit. Historical and philosophical conclusion ======================================= The Romanian intellectual tradition has deep roots, going back into the 18th and early 19th century, when their students started travelling to France or Germany, to be influenced by all the successive fashions and revolutionary ideas of the West. The unification of the Romanian principalities in 1859 was an almost casual consequence of manipulation by the Great Powers after the Crimean War. From then on right through to the second world war, Romanian social and economic thinkers dissected in extraordinary detail the problems of a developing nation, including issues such as agrarian versus industrial, state intervention versus laissez-faire, protectionism versus free trade, foreign investment versus self-reliance, etc. In short, how can a new nation such as theirs make an honest living in the world? It would certainly have astonished these thinkers to know that after the ravages of the second world war, and after the catastrophe unleashed on the country by the vicious and megalomaniac policies of Ceausescu, one of their principal remaining commodities -- the brains of their young scientists -- is being systematically plundered for absolutely no return by Western universities and companies. Miles Reid, Apr 2001 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miles Reid (Room 140) tel: +44 (0) 24 (Coventry) 76523491 (office) Math Inst., Univ. of Warwick home tel: +44 (0) 1926 (Kenilworth) 857929 Coventry CV4 7AL, England Math Inst. Fax: +44 (0) 24 76524182 e-mail: Miles.Reid@warwick.ac.uk web: www.warwick.ac.uk/~masda ---------------------------------------------------------------------------