Stand up for science!
Dear Members,
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that it has now been three years since the invasion of Ukraine. During this time, our network has successfully accomplished three major programmes of support to show our solidarity with the science community in Ukraine in practical terms. Thank you all for making these initiatives possible and for your continued commitment to supporting our colleagues in Ukraine, the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Lviv Open Lab.
As a consequence, you will not be surprised if I say that the world around us is changing. Sometimes for the worse, as our Ukrainian colleagues can testify, even if we must never lose hope that the situation will improve. I don't know if you'll agree with me, but it's changing so fast these days that it's making your head spin. That's no reason to sit on the side and watch the trains go by, as they say in my mother tongue!
As you know, Ecsite has put together a number of tools to help you get in touch with the new MEPs. Use them, that's what they're there for and you can find them here. I'd like to stress once again how important it is for us to raise awareness in the European Parliament collectively - in other words, in each of our countries - of our missions. They are not well known, even though the situation we are living in makes it more necessary than ever for us to promote science and innovation. No one is going to do it for us: it is in our own best interests to relentlessly plead our cause, which is that of the common good.
It is essential that the Ecsite network remains relevant and responsive in this shifting context. To this end, we are developing a new business plan - one that not only keeps pace with change but also that enables us to better support the evolving needs of our valued members. Concretely this means we are reviewing our activities for our members, understanding our members needs and enhancing our internal systems and processes to create a sustainable plan for the future of the organisation.
Last week, you should have received the newly launched Member Survey. This initiative is designed to help us better understand the challenges you face, what you value most about your Ecsite membership, and the support you may need in the future. Internally, we are also assessing how we can refine our processes and enhance our digital transition to operate more efficiently.
Your insights will directly shape Ecsite’s new business plan, which will be finalised in September and implemented shortly thereafter. This is a valuable opportunity for you to influence the future direction of Ecsite - so we strongly encourage you to share your thoughts and help shape our collective path forward by completing the survey.
And finally, our community is deeply saddened by the passing of Goéry Delacôte on February 23, 2025, at the age of 85. Throughout his prolific career, he was a passionate advocate for public engagement in science, leaving an indelible mark through his research, leadership, and innovative initiatives. He served in France (Cité des sciences et de l’industrie and Palais de la découverte, Paris, Exploradôme, Vitry-sur-Seine), in the United States (Exploratorium, San Francisco) and in the UK (We The Curious, Bristol), among other positions in research and administration. His legacy will continue to inspire us all in our work.
And as spring draws near, I’ll leave you with Henry David Thoreau’s words: "As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realisation of the Golden Age".
Stay tuned!
Best wishes,
Bruno Maquart
President of Ecsite
Post Scriptum: Faced with the new US administration's brutal attacks on science, the research community is mobilising and calling for a day of action on 7 March (standupforscience2025.org)