Massive budget cuts planned for Czech Academy of Sciences

Under the newly installed government’s austerity measures, the Czech Academy of Science’s budget for next year is to be cut by 1.4 billion Czech crowns. Its director, Jiří Drahoš, has said he is convinced that the cuts would have drastic consequences for the academy. He added that should the budget be reduced by that amount, he would be forced to close some research centers and staff would have to be cut dramatically. The academy’s 2010 budget is 5.1 billion Czech crowns, 12.5 percent less than in the previous year. Mr Drahoš believes that the only possible motivation behind such frequent budget cuts could be a long-term plan to close the academy down.