This week: a Canadian partnership, fishing research and the CNRS’s stance on open-access deals
In depth: Patrick Hetzel, a National Assembly member for the conservative Republicans party with a longstanding interest in higher education policy, has been appointed research and higher education minister in France.
Full story: Education expert appointed as French research minister
Also this week from Research Professional News
Diplomat with ties to Macron selected to lead Sciences Po—Luis Vassy, former ambassador to the Netherlands, set to take over from interim director
Here is the rest of the French news this week…
France and Canada move closer together
France Universités, the national association of university leaders, has signed an agreement with its Canadian homologue Universities Canada with the aim of encouraging greater collaboration between their member institutions. The agreement was signed at an event in Toulouse, France, which focused on Canada’s association with the second pillar of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. This pillar is focused on societal challenges and industrial competitiveness.
Sustainable fishing programme launched
The French government has launched a 10-year research programme to investigate avenues and opportunities for more sustainable fishing practices. The Bridges programme has been allocated €28 million and will be jointly led by three research agencies: Ifremer, which covers sea and ocean research; the IRD, which covers sustainable development research; and the CNRS, which covers multidisciplinary research. The programme will focus its work in the south-west Indian Ocean.
CNRS deputy director talks open access
Alain Schuhl, the scientific director of the CNRS, France’s multidisciplinary research agency, has reiterated the organisation’s opposition to open-access deals, such as transformative agreements, with for-profit publishing houses. Schuhl said that signing such deals “accelerates the transition to an author-pays system that we reject: when these agreements expire, the prices become even higher”. Commenting on the deal signed between the Couperin consortium, a collective representing major French higher education and research institutions that counts the CNRS as a member, and the scientific publisher Elsevier, Schuhl said: “Although it does not correspond to our policy, the CNRS must remain in solidarity with its research partners.” The CNRS voted against the deal.
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