Spring-cleaning in France

摘要

A year ago, on 6 May, France elected President Nicolas Sarkozy on a 'ticket of change' that included making research a prior- ity and shaking up the science base. His government, to its credit, has made a fair start on both. Science and higher education, long relegated to puny junior ministries, have been given a full-ranking ministry, as have ecology and sustainable development - which also puts neglected issues such as climate change and energy high on the agenda. The state has upped science funding and has begun to modernize the way research is administered.