Is the French research system doomed ?

If one were to believe the indicators which compare research results in terms of citations in scientific publications or even in the number of patents registered, the situation of French research is alarming. This is Olivier Postel-Vinay's conclusion, having carried out numerous investigations both in France and abroad. However, are the indicators which he uses, which come from a research culture different to ours, really adapted to measure French performances ? Does their use as a vehicle for change not run the risk of destroying our research system rather than making it more competitive ? One of the surprises of this discussion is the revelation that paradoxically the analysis of systems and research policy is one of the least represented fields of expertise of the Ministry of Research…