1. Excellence in scientific research Prof
Excellence in scientific research Prof. Ladislau Nagy Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania

2. Outline The importance of scientific research in universities
Evaluation of research
Financing of scientific research
Excellence in the Babes-Bolyai University

3. The importance of scientific research in universities
In many countries the name University is used only for higher education institutions with an important scientific research activity
Typically a university must offer doctoral studies
In Romania this is not regulated yet
We have 56 state universities, and 50 private universities
Many of the universities has no important research activity

4. The importance of scientific research in universities
Why is research important for a high education institution?
The goal of any high education is to educate students with creative thinking
The best training for creative thinking is the scientific research
Without a world-class scientific research of the teaching staff, students cannot get the education needed for an innovative, knowledge-based society

5. The importance of scientific research in universities
One of the most known ranking of the universities (the Shanghai list) takes into account only results in scientific research
Other rankings (Times, QS)
have a more complex
methodology, based also
on surveys, but the result
is mostly the same

6. Evaluation of research
How to measure performance in scientific research?
Number and quality of publications
Citations
Attracted money
Is this enough?
The ultimate reason for cultivating science should be the practical application, resulting in improving life quality
We know, that a large percentage of the published scientific papers will not have practical applications
But how can we determine, which one will have?
Evaluation on the possible outcome is difficult

7. Can a society invest just in research with a certain, measurable benefit? How effective is the goal oriented research?
It may lead to results for the applied research, where the fundaments of the field are already known, and the goal is some improvement
In case of fundamental research in most of the cases the results and their applicability is unpredictable
Many scientists says, the curiosity driven research may lead to surprising applications, proven by the history of science and technology

8. Theodor Hansch, Nobel prize in physics 2005 - from his Nobel lecture -

9. Who should finance the scientific research?
The situation for the applied research is more simple
Private companies are willing to do it, because the benefit, profit and practical applications are predictable and close
In the developed countries
more than 50% of the science
funding is coming from the
private companies

10. Funding of scientific research

11. What the private sector finances?

12. Funding of scientific research
What about the curiosity driven research?
The fundamental research is typically financed from public money (government, funding agencies etc.)
Why should taxpayers pay for satisfying the curiosity of some scientists?
Why should someone invest in scientific research, if the only outcomes are just scientific papers?

13. Funding of scientific research
In the US there are some voices, which are against the public funding of any scientific research
They say, that exploring the Universe or finding the Higgs boson does not lead to “public good”
Fortunately in the US and developed European and Asian countries the state funding of fundamental research is quite high
In Romania the government does not give much importance for supporting science
The research funding budget was cut to less then a half in because of the financial crisis

14. There is a correlation between the academic results of fundamental science (number of published papers, citations) and the innovative effect of the produced science to the economy and public good (with some exceptions)

15. From The state and quality of scientific research in Finland
report By the Academy of Finland, 2009

16. Science and technology policies in advanced countries have placed increasing focus in recent years on the requirements of efficiency and impact.
From the same report of the Academy of Finland:
The impact framework

18. University education and research is important in order to achieve the proposed impacts
It would be desirable the support of university scientific research also by industry and private companies
However, university research is typically financed by state

20. Excellence in the Babes-Bolyai University
In fundamental research, based of scientific publications and attracted grant money, our university is the first in Romania

21. No of ISI articles, 2009
(676 from Web of Science for BBU)

22. No. of research projects, 2009

23. Attracted funds in research projects, 2009

24. However, on an international comparison we need important improvement of our scientific research
We are not in the first 500 universities on the Shanghai ranking (between )
Improvement is needed both in fundamental (no of papers, citations) and applied research (partnership with the industry)

25. Excellence in the Babes-Bolyai University
In this year the BBU has launched the program for obtaining and establishing excellence in in several domains
excellent scientific research groups
excellent personalities
excellent bachelor programs
excellent master and PhD programs

26. Criteria for excellent scientific research groups
Relevant publications (books, articles)
Patents
Organization of important conferences
Technological impact (funds attracted from the industry)
Romanian and international graduate students
National and international awards
-> The University encourages beside the fundamental research also the applied research, with immediate financial benefit

27. After the evaluation, there have been awarded excellence title to 32 research groups from the university
By this excellence program we want to improve our fundamental and applied research also in international competition

28. Richard Feynman, Nobel laureate
Conclusion
Scientific research should have measurable benefit to ‘public good’
However:
Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it
Richard Feynman, Nobel laureate

29. Thank you for your attention