Minister of Education Kopicová calls for greater representation of industry in the CRDI!

On Monday 3 May 2010 the cabinet of the Czech Republic was, finally, to debate the new composition of the Council for Research, Development and Innovation (CRDI). According to the portal Aktuálně.cz Minister of Education Kopicová, however, initiated a withdrawal of this item from the agenda. The reason for her intervention was allegedly the insufficient involvement of industry representatives in this advisory body to the government. Furthermore, it may come as a surprise only to the uninformed that Kopicová was supported, among others, by the Minister for the Environment who is the ex-spokesperson for ČEZ.         The composition of the CRDI rejected by Minister Kopicová is, according to Aktuálně.cz, as follows: 1. Minister of Education, Youth and Sports (Miroslava Kopicová) 2. President of the Czech Rectors’ Conference (Petr Fiala, MU Brno) 3. President of the Council of Higher Education Institutions (Vladimír Haasz, ČVUT Praha) 4. President of the Academy of Sciences (Jiří Drahoš) 5. President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (Jaroslav Míl) 6. Jiří Málek, member of the Scientific Council, University of Pardubice 7. Václav Hampl, Rector, Charles University 8. Stanislava Hronová, Vice-Rector, University of Economics, Prague 9. Tomáš Opatrný, Vice-Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Palacky University in Olomouc 10. Rudolf Haňka, chairman, Council for Higher Education Reform, University of Cambridge 11. Karel Aim, chairman, Council of Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences, Prague 12. Pavel Hobza, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences 13. Jan Šotola – research and development director, Zentiva a.s. 14. Karel Oliva – director, Institute for the Czech Language, Academy of Sciences 15. Jiří Cienciala – CEO, Třinecké železárny 16. Zbyněk Frolík – CEO, Linet s. r. o., member, Presidium of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic