Portuguese scientific institutions have increasingly been called to broaden the scope of their activities. By the end of the 20th century, it had become clear that these institutions were being encouraged to shift from their traditional focus on the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, towards helping potential industrial partners apply that knowledge. Since then, the demand for transferring technology from academic laboratories to industry has grown at such a rapid pace that many researchers now fear that basic research may be seriously compromised.

Whether or not one believes that this responsibility should fall onto academic institutions, the reality is that current funding mechanisms leave us no choice. Even those who wish to pursue curiosity-driven research must now engage in technology transfer projects to secure the funding needed to support their fundamental research.

More recently, additional responsibilities have been placed on these institutions, including the support to public policies and responding to societal challenges. Although there is no broad consensus on the exact nature of these roles, one thing is clear: scientists and scholars must help society rediscover the value of critical, rational thinking and knowledge grounded in verified facts, especially in an era when many young people tend to trust unverified sources over professional media, and some of our leaders seem unable or unwilling to uphold these fundamental principles.

Ideally, this will not only lead to wiser decisions by governments and societies, but also help combat the dangerously pervasive notion that science is little more than a privileged pastime for a select elite. These goals should probably constitute the primary objective of our outreach efforts.
 

 

José Carlos Pedro
(IT President)