The heads of the Federal Polytechnic Schools (ETH and EPFL) have signed an open letter to the President of the European Commission.
This content was posted on 24. June 2022 – 12:20
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The Open letterExternal link The “Stick to Science” campaign was launched on Thursday as part of an effort to reunite Switzerland and the United Kingdom in the European Union (EU) -led Horizon Europe research collaboration. Both were expelled from Horizon due to current political controversies.
The letter was also signed by leaders of leading British scientific organizations such as the Royal Society, the Welcome Trust and the Universities UK.
He added that researchers from Switzerland and the UK still have a lot to offer in Europe, and that cooperation would be beneficial to all, especially in tackling challenges such as climate change and future epidemics. The authors urged Van der Leyen to disconnect science from political issues.
“Political relations may heal, but now the impact of the research piece will continue to be felt for decades,” the letter says.
In 2021, Switzerland decided to stop drawing up a draft agreement to closely link the EU. The European Union has pushed Switzerland to the status of a non-aligned country in Horizon Europe, especially since the European Commission cut funding for Swiss researchers. Horizon Europe operates from 2021 to 2027 and has a global budget of € 95 billion (CHF98 billion).
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