MINISTER OF EDUCATION INDUSTRY! “PACK IT UP, MS KOPICOVÁ!,” URGES THE FORUM SCIENCE IS ALIVE!

Prague, 6 May 2010 – Civic Association Forum Science Is Alive! invites you to a public event titled Minister of Education Industry!, organised on Tuesday, 11 May 2010. The goal of the happening is to point to the negative role Minister of Education Miroslava Kopicová has played for the past three years in terms of the relationship of the State to Czech science. “We have decided to move Ms. Kopicová from her existing offices where she has done nothing but permanent damage to Czech science. We are moving her to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic as she has been steadfastly defending the interests of industry to the detriment of Czech education and science”, says Martin Krummholz, chairman of Forum Science Is Alive! Thus, the Minister will be closer to those whose interests she has more or less openly defended so far, he has added. The education-industry transfer will take place on 11 May 2010 at 9:30 in front of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic at Karmelitská Street, and will gradually move to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic at Na Františku Street. “We do not want to announce the form the happening will take in advance. I can say, though, that we can look forward to a plenty of angry movers. If we allow this minister of education to continue her work on the liquidation of Czech science, it is possible that the scientists of today will be able to take up this experience in the near future when looking for their next job,” says Krummholz. Who are we? Forum Science is Alive! is a civic association the goal of which is to advance communication between scientists, governmental and non-governmental organisations and the public; to stimulate an open debate about science policy and the science and research reform in the Czech Republic; and to promote results of scientific work. In the last few months the association has focused especially on negotiating with politicians concerning the current problems facing science in the Czech Republic and the future concept for managing Czech science. So far the association has met with Prime Minister J. Fischer, Minister of Education M. Kopicová and MPs of the Committee for Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Contact for journalists: Michaela Vojtková, tel. 777 068 338, press@vedazije.cz