“An Expert ComesFrom Another City”

Mobility and Reintegration

Petr SvobodaInstitute of Molecular GeneticsPrague, Czech Republic

1992-1997 - Masters program at the Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague. Masters thesis research conducted at the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

1997-1998 - PhD program at the 1st medical school of Charles University, Prague.

1998-2003 - PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

2003-2006 - postdoctoral research at the Friedrich Miescher Institute, Novartis Forschungstiftung in Switzerland. Received the EMBO long term fellowship (2003-2004).

2007-present - head of the Department of Epigenetic Regulations. Received EMBO installation grant (2007-2009) and Purkynje Fellowship (2007-2011), lecturing at the Charles University.

My personal nomadic experience

Is mobility a problem in fostering young scientists in

biomedicine?

Not really. Perhaps in some countries

unprepared for people coming and leaving to conduct research ...

The primary driving force of mobility in biomedical research is research quality.

• The “brain-drain cry” is a direct evidence of high mobility.

• Mobility is an integral part of a scientific CV.

• A number of excellent long-established international PhD.

• Good institutions routinely employ scientists from abroad.

• Grants/projects available for mobile scientists (incl. Erasmus)

Conclusions:Attempts to regulate mobility deal with symptoms, not causes.

Mobility in desired directions should be enhanced by increasing research quality at places with excessive outbound mobility.

Mobility in biomedical research in Europe.

Out-dated immigration laws and their brainless enforcement are a deterrent.

Mobility is facilitated by:• “friendly” administration (the Swiss administration was friendly, the American more or less, the Czech was not)

• established procedures dealing with foreign employees at all levels (from taxes to accommodation)

• trained administrators for foreign employees

• manuals for foreign workers

Some aspects of mobility, however, need support

Reintegration

The idea to return back home to have my daughter educated in Czech

schools was one of the worst ideas of my life. I should’ve stayed in Canada.

Czech colleague, 2006

Reintegration

2009: Conditions for establishing a new, independent lab for scientists returning to

the Czech republic from abroad are the best as far as anyone remembers.

2009: The situation is still far from optimal.

Reintegration problems• rigid administration unprepared to deal with the fact that people also live abroad, not just travel there.

• lack of national support to build a new lab• no start-up grants• small standard grants with local specifics• apathy of MoE

• incoherent/absent national science support policy

• different points of view, “it won’t work (here)” attitude

• lack of international environment. International PhD students in biomedical research are rare species pretending speaking Czech.

Do not create new international programs for fostering young scientists, boost the ones that

exist for years.

Career fostering

How excellent is excellent?

EXCELLENT

POOR

applicants

very good applicants

funded applicants

GRANT AGENCY 1

EXCELLENT

POOR

applicants

very good applicants

funded applicants

GRANT AGENCY 2

• Existing agencies have established and optimized minimal administration dealing with management of applications and running grants.

• Existing agencies have a high excess of applications and could fund more if they would have more money

• Existing agencies already have their excellent, internationally recognized reputation, which is also important for career development of awardees.

• Using existing agencies is thoughtful towards reviewers who would have to review redundant applications.

Why support existing structures as opposed to create new ones?

A system fostering young scientists must be personally involved and aim

to minimize bureaucracy.

Career fostering

Individuality and personal communication are essential components of real fostering

scientist

his lab

his institute/school

academy university

administration including:

science policy-making processes

legislative processes funding channels

individual

friends comfortable

familiar personal

institutionalfoes

scary

unknown

impersonal

Researcher’s living environment and authorities

the great divide

successfull systemic support of young researchers must cross this border

scientist

his lab

his institute/school

academy university

administration including: science policy-making processes

legislative processes funding channels

scientist

his lab

his institute/school

academy university

administration including: science policy-making processes

legislative processes funding channels

scientist

his lab

his institute/school

academy university

administration including: science policy-making processes

legislative processesfunding channels

scientist

his lab

his institute/school

academy university

administration including: science policy-making processes

legislative processesfunding channels

Thank you for your attention!