Hungarian physicist Norbert Kroo founding member of EU's new Scientific Council

Norbert Kroo

Hungary has taken a top place on the EU's new science body - the Scientific Council. The physicist Norbert Kroo, who's also vice president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, becomes a founding member of the body, which hopes to strengthen European scientific achievement in the face of tough global competition.

Radio Budapest spoke to Norbert Kroo:

"The decision was made to organise this Research Council, which would - as far as the proposal is standing now - distribute about 1.5 billion euros every year for basic research in any field of science, in a continental sense, including natural life and social sciences and humanities as well."

How did the community receive the establishment of this new body?

"I got about one hundred, if not more, congratulating e-mails and letters from many people all around Europe and even the United States and Japan. This means that the visibility of the body, which not yet exists, is already large now. The expectations are huge, so the responsibility is also large."

What strategy will the new council adopt?

"I can only tell you what I am going to represent. The important thing is that the grants awarded by this body should be higher than state grants so that they will be prestigious. The only selection should be based on excellence and the outcome will be that outstanding research will be stimulated and strengthened."