randform

Most of scientists will meanwhile probably already know about the current uproar in the french science community. However just in case someone missed it, this blog post here.

The french uproar was not only but partially triggered by a speech by french president Sarkozy, which used not so nice descriptions of scientists. From a nature report:

In a speech on 22 January, as he set out his plans for a national strategy on science and innovation, French president Nicolas Sarkozy lambasted the country’s university system as “infantilizing” and “paralysing for creativity and innovation”. Sarkozy implied that French researchers were fainéants (layabouts) with cushy jobs, and no match for their supposedly more industrious British counterparts.

His speech made even a french fields medallist(website) (the fields medal is a mathematical analogue of the nobel prize) write an open letter in response (Read open letter by Wendelin Werner in Le Monde).

Merci A Elsa pour l’information.