( Spanish) – World-renowned Argentine scientists are packing their bags to leave the country. The impact of the lack of funding in recent months “triggered” —Pablo Manavella tells — “the decision to migrate to Spain at the beginning of this year.”
Manavella is a biochemist with a PhD in Biology and was hired by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), a Spanish public body dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, as part of a program to attract international talent to continue his studies of RNA molecules in plants.
Alejandro Díaz-Caro is a quantum computing researcher. There is an international race between countries to be the first to develop a conventional-sized quantum computer in his field. His research is oriented towards theory, and there are also researchers who are dedicated to more applied branches. In a few days he will move to France, summoned by a state entity to continue his work.
In Argentina, Díaz-Caro’s only PhD assistant paid by public entities was left without funding. “My options are to stop doing research and go to the scientific centre every day with a sign to complain or leave my country and continue researching abroad,” he says. He chose the latter.
According to the Network of Authorities of Institutes of Science and Technology (Raicyt), the budget for 2024 was reduced by 30% compared to 2023. But, in addition to the lack of funding, they denounce that income to the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet) is halted and that losses due to resignations, retirements or deaths, which they estimate to be around 400 places, are not being replaced.
A few weeks ago, the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, accused the scientific community of being part of the “party of the State”, of “the caste”. “They believe that having an academic degree makes them superior beings and therefore we should all subsidize their vocation”. And he challenged them: “If you think your research is so useful, I invite you to go out into the market, like any other, investigate, publish a book and see if people are interested or not, instead of hiding behind the coercive force of the State.”
María Laura Romero has a PhD in Literature and describes the demanding process for applying for the Conicet researcher program. “To apply, you have to be a PhD or even a post-doctoral candidate. Specifically, in the Literature program, you have to have around 10 publications in group 1 scientific journals, which are the highest category. I got in with 18,” she says. Currently, she is one of the 833 selected for the 2022 call, who are waiting to be awarded the scholarship starting in September 2023.
Jorge Geffner is a member of the Raicyt commission. He has a PhD in Biochemistry, is a senior researcher at Conicet and is dedicated to studying the cure for AIDS. In conversation with he says that the lack of funding is compounded by the salary crisis.
“It is very sad what is happening. Argentine scientists are recruited all over the world because they are very good,” says Pablo Manavella. This is not the first time that the doctor in Biology has lived abroad. He did his postdoctoral studies with a scholarship in Germany and returned to the country in 2014, through a program for the repatriation of scientists. Since then, he has never stopped receiving offers from abroad to develop his research, but he chose to bet on his country.
In March of this year, Conicet itself spread the results of the Scimago 2024 ranking, which places the organization as the best governmental science institution in Latin America and number 20 among research institutions worldwide.
From Europe, where he currently resides, Manavella warns that more and more people will leave Argentina. “I often get the impression that science is considered almost as a cultural asset and not as a necessity,” he says.
However, a survey conducted by the Pulsar observatory of the University of Buenos Aires, which specializes in the study of public opinion, shows that 85% of Argentines surveyed do not agree with reducing investment in science and technology. The sample of 1,250 was conducted in June of this year and has a margin of error of ± 2.8%.
See attached file, page 2. The survey has already been approved by the survey department.
“If we want to get out of the constant crises we have, the country has to develop to the point of industrialization, otherwise we will always depend on others and we will only be producers of raw materials,” he concludes.
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