Leaders of Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine Met with CNRS Representatives: Science Is a Priority in Addressing Societal Challenges
On 21 September, representatives of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), namely, Dr. Emmanuel Brouillet, Head of the European and International Affairs Division of the Institute of Biology, and Dr. Gilles Bonvento, Director of the Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, visited Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine. They met with the Dean Prof. Dalius Jatužis, Associate Dean of Science and Innovation Assoc. Prof. Karolis Ažukaitis, Director of the Institute of Clinical Medicine Prof. Tomas Poškus and other researchers working in the field of neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University (Prof. Gintaras Kaubrys, doctoral student Eglė Audronytė). Irena Skullerud, Counsellor at the Lithuanian Embassy in France, also attended the meeting.
“The opportunity to collaborate with the CNRS would open new opportunities for our scientists. We sometimes underestimate our talents, and we are too modest, but it is great that representatives of institutions such as CNRS pay attention to Lithuanian scientists and look for common points of contact. The meeting is about sharing ideas, opportunities and needs, and the fact that we are talking about it now is already an achievement. The most important asset in any scientific activity is the human mind and abilities, which sometimes need the right conditions for their realisation, which can be created through cooperation with centres of this level,” said the Dean, Prof. D. Jatužis.
“In a global world, the search for collaborative opportunities in science is a necessary and ongoing process. I think it is worth moving away from the idea that we are a small country because ideas come from everywhere. The new Science Centre of the Faculty of Medicine will soon open its doors, where our scientists will finally be able to implement their ideas and visions, so possible cooperation with research centres of this level is very timely for us because science is the highest priority at the moment,” said Assoc. Prof. K. Ažukaitis.
According to Dr. Emmanuel Brouillet, the CNRS is very open to innovative and interdisciplinary ideas. “We are not only working with existing research teams, but we are constantly looking to create new ones. We hope that your researchers will also find opportunities to work with us. In the field of neuroscience alone, there are 700 research teams in France, 85 in Paris alone. One of the most important global priorities will soon become and already is becoming, “brain health”, in which we are not investing enough. Only the joint work of people from different disciplines, including clinical scientists who work directly with patients and social scientists, can help to meet the global challenges. We may seem strong, but believe me, we know from experience that somewhere there are more talented, more innovative, more mature ideas. We strive to bring together people with different experiences, perspectives and visions and let them work,” said the Head of European and International Affairs at CNRS Institute of Biology.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research is one of the world’s leading research institutions. Its scientists study the living world, matter, the Universe and the functioning of human societies to tackle the major challenges of today and tomorrow. Internationally recognised for the quality of its research, the CNRS is a benchmark in the world of research and development and for the general public. The CNRS ranks among the world’s leading research institutions for its outstanding research and innovation achievements.
More information about CNRS here.