Prague, July 21 (CTK) – More intensive cooperation between Czech and U.S. scientists might boost Czech science’s image all over the world, Ludek Moravec, who will take up the post of science diplomat at the Czech embassy in Washington next week, has told CTK.
He said the Czech Republic has quality infrastructure and brilliant scientists, who, however, are not always known to potential partners.
“Nevertheless, whenever scientific journals mention Czechs together with Americans, this is noticed by others,” Moravec said.
Good contacts abroad and participation in international projects are an indicator of quality in contemporary research, he said.
Czech-U.S. scientific cooperation has been anchored in a few memorandums, which, Moravec said, must start to be applied in full.
“In the areas of defence, security and nuclear energy, the necessary conditions are prepared on both ministerial and government levels. A deepening and boosting research cooperation in these areas is one of Czech priorities,” Moravec said, commenting on the goals of his four-year mission.
“The [potential cooperation] field is quite wide, but reality also depends on the two countries’ priorities. We have to seek interests we have in common,” Moravec said.
He said it is not his task as a science diplomat to mediate initial communication between scientists and institutions.
“This is unnecessary, scientists often communicate with each other, they meet at congresses and conferences. However, there is still a long path from such meetings towards a joint project,” he said.
The building of confidence and presentation of Czech scientific successes plays a big role, he continued.
“Sometimes, Czech scientists presenting their work tend to play it down, while others make a show and speak about how they will save the world,” Moravec said.
He said he wants to bring Czech experts to the USA to boost Czech science’s image.
In the past weeks, he had talks with U.S. diplomats in Prague and his proposals in this respect have met with positive reactions, he said.
Representatives of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), a government agency providing grants to basic research, too, were positively impressed during their visit to the Czech Republic in June, Moravec continued.
“It is important to show that the Czech Republic’s capabilities have steeply increased, with the country offering not only skilled experts but also decent financial conditions, equipment and effective communication with Europe,” he said.
Moravec is the second Czech science diplomat, after Delana Mikolaskova, who has represented the country in Israel since 2015.
When introducing Moravec to the media in May, Deputy PM Pavel Belobradek said Czech science diplomats might also be installed at the embassies in Germany and some southeast Asian country.
