LERU Rectors debate on research and innovation policies in the European Union

On May 20 and 21, the Rectors of the 21 universities which form the League of European Research Universities (LERU) celebrated the 30th Rectors’ Assembly i n Utrecht (Netherlands), aiming to tackle on current research and innovation policy of the European Union. There was the participation of the Commissioner of Research, Science and Innovation of the European Union, Carlos Moedas; the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Jet Bussemaker, and the General Director of Research and Innovation of the European Commission, Robert-Jan Smits.

The session was useful to exchange opinions about topics like open science, innovation, citizen’s science or interdisciplinarity. The commissioner Moedas talked about Innovation regarding the Union and the role the universities which are intensive in research have to have. The Minister Bussemaker analysed the state of the Dutch presidency of the European Union and his bet on the open science.

Further publications

In this session they also introduced the next document to be published by LERU on citizen’s science. The University of Barcelona has participated in two successful cases such as the ones of Open-Systems Research Group, led by the researcher Josep Perelló.

Moreover, they are working on a document about interdisciplinary research in which they have incorporated several examples from the University of Barcelona, like a reference to the 14 own research institutes of the UB –and especially, the Water Research Institute- as well as other more specific projects like the one led by the teacher José Remesal, Professor of the Faculty of Geography and History, about roman trade routes, in which there is the participation of historians and physics who are experts in complete networks and it has been honoured with an advanced grant by the European Research Council (ERC).

Another of the examples is the Interdisciplinary Meeting of Predoctoral Researchers (JIPI) which gathers PhD students from diverse disciplines annually.