yet another Editorial on the Italian Science scenario...
Massimo Pinto
Thursday, 13 November 2008 09:58 UTC
And here you go.
Time to scrap concorsi altogether. Or not?
This forum is open to discussion.
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Replies
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are there only concorsi for professors, or also researchers and post-docs?
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I suppose the concept of concorso pubblico, more generally, was under attack in the Nature Editorial.
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Here you can post a comment and read the comments of many hundreds of Italian researchers abroad on the reform and the Italian Science in general.
Many observe that the main problem is the corruption and lack of meritocracy rather than the insufficient funding. It seems quite distinct the opinion of those that remain in Italy (more worried about the second problem) from those that go abroad (more upset about the first problem).
Is this only my perception? -
I agree 100% that the Italian recruitment procedure for researchers and professors needs a drastic reshape. They should not be employee of the Faculties (essentially for teaching purposes) but rather of the Departments. They should be under the direct responsibility of the Department Dean whose salary should be directly associated to the performance of the whole Department. At that point I suspect that meritocracy would be an issue….
Piero: I think that your perception is correct. People abroad are more focused on the lack of meritocracy issue because they don’t experience the everyday’s lack of money!!! Of course anybody should be convinced that an intervention is needed to alleviate both problems at the same time.
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The December issue of Nature Neuroscience (just out) carries a related editorial, ‘The plight of the precari’ Nat. Neuro. 11, 1361; 2008.
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Thank you Maxine, for bringing this up.
It looks like a very on-target Editorial. However, it does portray a vision of Italian tenure-track which is plainly wrong. Ricercatori are not on a tenure-track. They have already achieved tenure on their first day of service. We just don’t have tenure-track in Italy. -
And here is another one, in the December issue of Nature Cell Biology (10, 1373; 2008)!
Italy fails to nurture knowledge
Slivio Berlusconi’s government seems set on its course to reform Italy’s troubled education system through heavy cuts in funding to schools, universities and scientific research, prompting a belated flurry of protests. (etc)
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