The situation of young researchers in the Baltic States: Development or waste of future scientific potential?

Conference Description

In recent decades, the European higher education and research system has undergone profound changes related to globalization, which have dramatically changed the careers of researchers. Studies shows, that although doctoral students and young doctors constitute a rapidly growing workforce, their working conditions are increasingly unstable and their career prospects uncertain both in the EU and in the Baltic States. The growing internationalization of science also increases the social differences of the academic community because of the overlap of various social identities (e. g. ethnicity, gender, social and economic status, abilities, etc.). In addition, this exacerbates old and new forms of gender inequality for young researchers (YR) career, especially women and contributes to the specific systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual. However, the current institutional research and innovation policy, including the gender equality in science policy, rarely takes into account the specific challenges that arise for young researchers (YR) due to the imperfection of the scientific system and its out-of-datedness.

The research institutes of the Baltic States additionally experience specific challenges, caused by the incomparably lower national funding of science than in Western European countries, a large “brain drain”, excessive distrust in the competence of young scientists to conduct research independently, a lack of mentoring, unbalanced scientific and business needs, etc. All this hinders the formation of high-quality scientific potential, that can successfully contribute to the acceleration of national science and ERA development. Bearing in mind, that the competitiveness of the Member States and the entire EU economy is based on the scientific achievements, and, that YR are the scientific potential of the nearest future, it makes the issue being very important.

The aim of the event

The conference aims to draw the attention of science policy makers and other interested parties to the situation of YR in the Baltic States and to discuss the situation of YR in the Baltic States for finding the ways how to improve it.

Participants

The invited speakers, guests and participants represent YR, science policy makers of different levels (national and European), representatives of administration of scientific institutes and universities, organizations regulating and financing scientific activities, as well as representatives of business companies developing or using science based products and technologies.