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John Marks appointed new CEO of European Science Foundation; promises to reach out by listening

The Member Organisations (MOs) and the partners of the European Science Foundation can expect a new commander-in-chief who will place emphasis on listening to their needs, yet will not hesitate to confront them if the quality of the European research agenda is at stake.

“The stakeholders and partners can expect a listening leadership from me – listening to their needs and their wishes,” explained Dr. John Marks, who is to become the new Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation starting from 1 April 2007. “They can also expect a leadership that would challenge them when necessary in order, together with the MOs, to create the European Research Area for real.”

Dr. Marks will take the helm from Professor Bertil Andersson who is leaving the ESF for Singapore to become the Rector for the Nanyang Technological University. Dr. Marks, who has been the Director of Science and Strategy for the ESF since 2004, is taking on the top post until a new CEO has taken office.

At the 32nd annual General Assembly in December, 2006, a series of major changes including making the Governing Council the meeting place of Heads of National Research Organisations and establishing a high level independent Science Advisory Board were approved. Their purpose is to ensure ESF’s status as a high-level policy interaction platform for its Member Organisations is maintained. These measures will also oversee and develop instruments for the organisation that has devoted itself in promoting and achieving excellence in European science since 1974.

Dr. Marks said he will make certain that 2007 will be “a year of delivery”, citing the Strategic Plan 2006-2010 (link) that Professor Andersson and he had initiated in 2006.

“The plan is to realise a shift in emphasis of the ESF,” said Dr. Marks. “We are going from an organisation using (member) organisations’ contribution to promote collaboration in a scientific community, to an organisation that tries to influence the Research Agenda in Europe together with MOs, to the benefit of the scientific community.”

He added that the ESF’s Strategic Plan 2006-2010 is a concrete measure that will influence the European science agenda by using instruments such as the Forward Looks, which is the flagship activity of ESF’s strategic arm.

Forward Looks allow Europe’s scientific community, in interaction with policy makers, to develop medium to long-term views and analyses of future research developments with the aim of defining research agendas at national and European level.

 “We need high quality Forward Looks that are asked for by the Member Organisations and partners and are conducted in an open and transparent process, that involves leadership in the scientific community,” Dr. Marks added.

Dr. Marks also discussed how the Science Synergy pillar of the ESF’s Strategic Plan, upon which the organisation places great emphasis, could help tackle the issue of peer review in Europe. Currently the peer review process in the science community is fraught with problems and ESF has created a platform for its Member Organisations to jointly develop new ideas .

ESF  co-organised a conference on peer review in October 2006 which has concluded that the creation of a common platform through which countries can share expertise on peer review is urgently needed.

Common Platform and pan-European collaboration has never been a strong suit for Europe when it comes to scientific activities due to the fragmented nature of the continent.

“The ESF alone can not change the fragmented nature of the European scientific development,” stressed Dr. Marks. “Can ESF do the things that it needs to do by itself? No. It can only do it if our Member Organisations want it. This comes back to the basic change that we introduce in the strategic plan – to work with the member organisations to strengthen science in Europe.”

As for Marks himself, he is determined to use input from the 75 MOs spanning  30 countries to implement changes for Europe.

“I feel this is a big responsibility even for a limited period,” commented Dr. Marks. “My motto is “together we are strong.” This applies to ESF and its member organisations, ESF and its partners, ESF and COST (The European Cooperation in Science and Technology) System and last but not least, it applies to ESF offices which have a major role in making it happen.”

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