Last Presidency R&D Event in Prague, MŠMT ČR

The European advisory body for scientific and technical research (CREST) and the Working Group on Research and Nuclear Issues met in Prague on 11-12 June 2009.

Participants of the meeting of the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST).

Participants of the Working Group on Research and Nuclear Issues.

On Thursday and Friday, Prague hosted the last Czech Presidency event in the field of research and development – the parallel meetings of the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST) and the Working Group on Research and Nuclear Issues, chaired by Anneli Pauli from the European Commission and Hana Vlčková from the Permanent EU Representation of the Czech Republic respectively.

The agenda of the two-day CREST meeting included the state of play of the Ljubljana Process, the instruments for the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA), the role of universities in ERA, access to information in the digital era and the Commission Communication on a Strategy for ICT R&D and Innovation in Europe. At the beginning, Director of the Department of International Cooperation in Research and Development of the Czech Education Ministry Jan Marek presented the system of R&D management in the Czech Republic, the approved reform and the new role of the Czech R&D Council. This presentation gained wide acceptance and a number of countries took part in the subsequent discussion. At the end of the meeting Sweden presented the priorities of its upcoming Presidency.

The themes of the informal meeting of the Working Group on Research and Nuclear Issues included a presentation of the policies in the area of research in the Czech Republic and of international research cooperation including the possibility for Russia to join the 7th Framework Programme.

During a rich accompanying programme, the participants in both meetings were invited to take part in a tour to see the unique facilities of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the TOKAMAK infrastructure and the traditional Pilsner beer brewing technology.

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