Switzerland should be welcomed back into the Horizon Europe and Copernicus programs after the UK gained reassociation earlier this year, a group of 22 research-intensive universities across the continent has urged.
The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities also says that research possibilities need to be exploited “in full”, especially in Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities disciplines, which have the potential to “contribute significantly to societal development and resilience”.
The UK returned to the £85 billion program in September last year, which The Guild’s Deans of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities said opened options for “the generation of UK researchers that has never had the opportunity to engage in the EU framework program”.
“UK and EU partners should collectively strive for new research collaborations and optimally exploit the opportunities offered by the reassociation,” the deans said.
“Universities could support this re-engagement by providing seed funding for Horizon applications and exploring bilateral agreements that could enable researchers to join larger networks.”
Regarding Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, The Guild said the disciplines stand as examples of areas where funding has made a visible impact in research communities.
“These disciplines will contribute significantly to societal development and resilience if they are allowed to flourish and develop across present and future framework programs and can draw on the added value offered by EU/UK collaborations,” the group said.
It also noted that Switzerland must be next in line for a full reassociation with the current and future framework programs.
Non-European countries have been accepted as partners in the program, including Korea and New Zealand, while stakeholders in Japan, Canada and Australia are also hoping for deals.
“If there was ever a win-win it must be the recent reassociation of UK with the EU Framework Program,” said acting secretary-general Ole Petter Ottersen.
“Now is the time to exploit the new possibilities in full”
“Now is the time to exploit the new possibilities in full, not least in the fields of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities.
“Reconnecting and reinforcing UK-EU collaborations long-term should be high on the agenda, for researchers as well as political decision-makers on both sides of the channel.
“Switzerland should now be next in line for a full reassociation with the current and future framework programs, to the benefit of Europe’s competitiveness and resilience.”
Without Horizon Europe association, the Swiss research community is still not able to play its full role in European scientific networks, The Guild added.
“The Guild stresses the urgency to streamline the process for associating countries with long-standing legacies of participation in the development of the European Research Area and ensure that the collaborations will continue in the upcoming EU framework programs.”
