Managing science

• François KOURILSKY
  Former Managing director, CNRS ; Former Vice President of the Conseil supérieur de la recherche et de la technologie (High Council for Research and Technology)
  
• Michel BERRY
  Ancien directeur du Centre de recherche en gestion de l'École polytechnique
  

Summary

The ultra-specialisation of scientists makes their work impenetrable to mere mortals, and even sometimes to their own colleagues. Their strong personalities and their perceived invulnerability makes them difficult to handle. These factors make the management of an important body, such as the CNRS, particularly tricky, added to which adminstration becomes more and more cumbersome. In addition, public opinion increasingly demands answers from science. As far as François Kourilsky is concerned, the scientific world can only be managed through discussion, programming and decentralisation. Such management is uncertain and always under pressure.

Summary translated from French by Rachel MARLIN.

• The entire article was written by Lucien CLAES.

To obtain this article, you can :

• download it for free in French (PDF help) or contact ecopar@paris.ensmp.fr (Reference IN220595).