03/2005

Academic bulletin 03/2005

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SUMMARY

A monothematic edition of the Academic Bulletin, with the sub-title, 'Discussion of Science', is dedicated to actual questions concerning the coordination of science and research, science policy, an evaluation of the quality and benefit to research, the role of inventive personalities and also to the topic of the growing bureaucracy in science.

Comparison of universities in America, Western Europe and the Czech Republic
The Discussion Board of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic was enlarged with the election of Prof. Jaroslav Koutecký, professor at the Belfer Graduate School of Science in New York, professor at the Freie Universität Berlin and since 1969 a member of International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences, at the tenth general meeting of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic in May 2004. A principle topic was a comparison of universities in America, Western Europe with those in the Czech Republic.

Science personalities and leading in science
Prof. Jiří Wiedermann, a member of the Council of Headmasters of ERCIM (European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics), ex-vice-president of EATCS (European Association for Theoretical Computer Science) and member of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic since 2003. He offers answers to questions about the implementation of a set of arrangements and revisions more than fifteen years after the Velvet Revolution that he maintains has not brought any notable changes.

Is it possible to direct the science?
Prof. Pavel Drábek, a member of the European Mathematical Society, the American Mathematical Society and The Learned Society of the Czech Republic since 2003, asks the above question and provides reasons for his conviction, namely, that the answer at that question is not clear.

Contemplating the importance of words: the role of leading science personalities and working conditions
Prof. Zdeněk Strakoš teaches at the Emory University (Atlanta, USA He is also a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), SIAG on Linear Algebra, SIAG on Supercomputing, and the International Linear Algebra Society (ILAS). He observes that, although the Czech Republic currently has no living Nobel prize winners or Abel significant prize winners, it does have science personalities who were awarded Descartes prizes last December. How many other leading personalities on the world scene do we have? he asks. In conclusion, he finds that to attain rareness in science the parallel conditions are needed.

NEWS FROM THE ACADEMIC COUNCIL
Report on the 56^th session of the Academic Council of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Summary of the 200^th session of the Czech Government’s Research and Development Council.