nauka

Montenegro’s science seals first chapter in EU accession

Posted 21 December 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Montenegro saw its first chapter in negotiations for joining the European Union – on science and research – successfully closed earlier this week (18 December). EU commissioner Štefan Füle said this marks the start of the accession negotiations entering a real substance. Research and development "are essential to push innovation and thus economic growth" he added. "In this work, Montenegro has kept a close eye on developments in the European Union. It has actively participated in the EU Research Programmes so... Read more

Posted in Montenegro |

0 Comments | Permalink

Funding for Vojvodina’s science academy under threat

Posted 19 December 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Vojvodina’s science academy, VANU, has published a letter to the public, both Serbian and international, calling on them to defend its existence as a regional academy dealing with issues that are neglected on the national level. This regional academy is in danger of being shut down for the second time since it was established as part of a decentralisation drive of the former Yugoslavia in 1979. When the Balkan wars began, VANU was closed in 1992 (together with Kosovo's science... Read more

Posted in Science academies, Science policy, Vojvodina |

0 Comments | Permalink

Serbian scientists decry systematic plagiarism, predatory publishing

Posted 17 December 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

An open letter to the Serbian science ministry – coinciding with the new government’s first 100 days in office – and an accompanying petition signed by 850 scientists so far, makes for pretty dim reading on the state of research ethics in Serbia. The systematic and apparently state-endorsed practice of artificially boosting one’s ratings in the national evaluation system, which drives promotions and helps set salaries, has led to a range of abuses that are promoting mediocrity while driving scientific talent out of the... Read more

Posted in Journals, Serbia |

0 Comments | Permalink

EC’s Researchers’ Report 2012: results for Balkan countries

Posted 30 November 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

The European Union needs a million more researchers over the next decade and it plans to devote 3% of GDP to R&D by 2020 to keep up with its main economic competitors and be a knowledge-based economy, according to this year's European Commission Researchers' Report. To achieve all this, it needs equal opportunities for women, attractive working conditions, open and merit-based recruitment, together with cross-border mobility, high-quality and attractive doctoral and post-doctoral training, and greater movement between the public and... Read more

Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Science policy, Serbia |

0 Comments | Permalink

Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina pledges to revolutionise its “unsatisfactory” science

Posted 9 August 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity in the highly ethnically and politically divided Bosnia and Herzegovina, has a new science strategy, complete with an action plan to internationalise its currently dismal science, link it to industry and boost funding to 0.5% of GDP by 2016. The strategy for 2012-2016 was approved by the parliament last month (17 July) and it follows from the new science law that came into effect in January. The current system is "unsatisfactory" and not targeted to... Read more

Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Science policy |

1 Comments | Permalink

A new twist in the merger of Montenegro’s science academies

Posted 7 August 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Montenegro Science Academy Faces Funding Freeze Over Merger Montenegro's official science academy may see its budget subject to month-by-month approvals, or even face deep budget cuts, if it does not comply with a law forcing it to merge with the country's unofficial science academy. The move, approved at a cabinet meeting on 26 July, is the latest in an escalating conflict between the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), which says its academic autonomy is under attack, and the... Read more

Posted in Montenegro, Science academies |

0 Comments | Permalink

Montenegrin academicians at loggerheads

Posted 16 May 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Members of Montenegro’s unofficial science academy, the Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts (DANU), got a nasty surprise this week. In March, the country’s parliament mandated that DANU should merge with the official academy, the Montenegrin Academy of Science and Arts (CANU), in an effort to unite the country’s scientific potential. The two academies have historically been divided along political and ideological lines. Full article on Nature News Blog ... Read more

Posted in Montenegro, Science academies, Science policy |

0 Comments | Permalink

A tsunami of plagiarism in Serbia, but hardly any retractions

Posted 3 January 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

A report for the Serbian science ministry by the Centre for Evaluation in Education and Science (CEON) found that whopping 11% of scientific journal articles by Serbian authors published in English language but in Serbian journals were plagiarised. The proportion was similar across all sciences (natural, medical, technical and social). Apart from widespread plagiarism, they also found that 0.35% of the articles in the the Serbian citation index and journal database (SCIndeks) were published twice in identical form, often in the same... Read more

Posted in Journals, Serbia |

0 Comments | Permalink