Scientists from abroad expressed their concern about the “plan to dismantle the science and technology system” in Argentina, “a worrying panorama that was already presented before the inauguration” of the presidency of Javier Miley “by the prestigious journals Nature and Science”, published this Thursday.
between the Researchers who expressed their support Includes Argentine flag Sir Gregory Winter (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018), Harold Varmus (Nobel Prize in Medicine 1989), David Julius (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021), Stanley Plotkin (co-developer of the rubella vaccine) And one of the world's leading authorities on vaccines) and Teon van Dijk (One of the founders of the Center for Critical Discourse Analysis), the campaign organizers noted.
Valeria Edelstein, Research Associate at Conicet“The reason for this initiative and concern on the part of researchers from all over the world is due to the brutal reshuffle implemented by the new government,” one of the campaign promoters told Telam.
“Various authorities from national universities and science and technology organizations have already said that the functioning of the institutions is at risk and they will not be in a position to meet expenses after the middle of the year or even before.” And he warned.
The researcher highlighted this “Argentina has three Nobel Prize winners in science for the first time, the highest number of any Latin American country, and our country is also considered the leader in the region.”
After highlighting international support for Argentine science, Edelstein stressed that the situation is “serious” and warned that “scientific and technical organizations are deteriorating day by day.”
“What they are doing is pushing thousands of researchers into a new brain drain like the one we have already seen in our country.”Valeria Edelstein
“What they are doing is pushing thousands of researchers into a new brain drain like the one we have already seen in our country,” he said.
The campaign was also promoted by Conicet's senior researcher, José Pellizan, and Claudio Cormick, a research associate at that organization.
In a video broadcast on the Defensa STEM Argentina YouTube channel, Van Dijk supported “Argentine researchers for the critical situation they are going through” and stressed that “Looking for the future is vital. It is how countries develop and grow.”
Dutchman Van Dijk's speech
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For his part, he said: PhD in Biology from the University of Barcelona, Sergi SabaterHe noted that he continues to work with Argentine researchers on aspects such as the “impact of pollution” and added, “That is why I follow with great concern the news that comes out of Argentina. Without well-funded science, it is impossible to know.” Our environment, thus, protecting it effectively.
Barcelona support Sergi Sabater
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Those in charge of the campaign indicated this in a statement He added that “the Miley government's decision to extend the 2023 budget” has raised “concern in institutions such as Conisit and the national universities.”
“The sudden devaluation of the peso by 118% in December and the 51% inflation accumulated between December and January will paralyze these institutions. In the case of Conisit in particular, the effects of adjustment policies are already evident,” among the 1,300 institutions they explained. “PhD grants Of which the organization committed to granting, the Board of Directors committed to guaranteeing only 600 of them. At the same time, those who were chosen to join the organization as researchers witnessed paralysis or a decline in their acceptance procedures.”
“The message they share with us is clear and strong: Argentina, the Latin American country with the most Nobel Prizes, is at the forefront of scientific activity in the region, and science is an indispensable factor for economic and social development,” they concluded. development of a country.”
