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President of EuroScience surprised by Bill Gate's speech on EuroScience |
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Written by Everything Science
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Feb 05, 2005 at 12:26 AM |
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At the Government Leaders Forum in Prague Wednesday 2 February, Bill Gates announced a new Microsoft Initiative called EuroScience in his keynote speach to over 500 government leaders and public officials. The 40 million dollar Microsoft version of EuroScience is a partnership scheme between the software company and European research institutions offering PhD and Post-Doc grants for students under strict licence conditions.
 The already existing Euroscience Association was created in 1997 and has more than 2100 individual and 31 institutional members. In August 2004 it organised the first pan-european scientific meeting in Stockholm, EuroScience Open Forum 2004, with more than 1800 participants. A number of very prominent European scientists and people interested in science are member of Euroscience. Among others is the former European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin a number of Nobel laureates and former research ministers.
Euroscience president Jean Patrick Connerade says:
"Mr Gates does not approve of software piracy, so I am sure he does not intend to steal our name. Euroscience is a registered Association of scientists who give up time voluntarily in support of European Science. We have members in forty European countries and, with the help of sponsors, we organise ESOF, a pan-European Forum on all the sciences, to which thousands of people come.
"Three hundred and fifty journalists attended the last ESOF in Stockholm. It was widely featured in the international press, even making the front page of the Financial Times. Officers of the American Association for the Advancement of Science were invited, so American scientists also know about us. The President of Euroscience works in support of the Marie Curie Programme of the European Union, and there are registered websites with full reports of our numerous activities (see www.euroscience.org).
"Euroscience is also present in a number of European advisory and science policy bodies and we make statements on European research and research policy on a regular basis. With the new name confusion it will be dificult to see if it is the European research community or Microsoft who comments on the Lisbon declaration etc. as Mr Gates did this week.
"If Mr Gates wants to help us by injecting millions of dollars into Euroscience, then that is wonderful, but I am surprised: as the elected President of Euroscience, I was not consulted before Mr Gates made his speech to the Government Leaders' Forum in Prague. I would like to understand better what his plans really are. I am sure Microsoft would never steal the name of an European Association of scientists to further its activities, so I can only assume at this point that he really does intend to support us. More cash is of course exactly what the Euroscience Association needs".
Re: President of EuroScience surprised by Bill Gate`s speech on EuroScience
Astronuc February 4th, 2005 - 10:38 PM
 Seems to be a slight conflict. Someone needs to do his homework.  | Re: President of EuroScience surprised by Bill Gate`s speech on EuroScience
rayblanc February 7th, 2005 - 3:08 AM
Quote of Connerade sounds like piss-poor black mail to MS. MS is doing a great thing in Europe and all Connerade finds to do is beg for money in a most cynical way! There are dozens of other organisations or groups which use “euroscienceâ€. It’s not a trademark is it?
Depressing. | Re: President of EuroScience surprised by Bill Gate`s speech on EuroScience
Degett February 7th, 2005 - 7:57 AM
Congratulations you were one of the first to pick up this topic.
It is certainly serious for a relatively small grass-roots organisation to have its name taken over by a big company. This is not about money but about the brand name. What would Bill Gates say if we started a "Microsoft Initiative" and began to make policy statements in that name - that would not be accepted. Euroscience is a legal protected name - but not in all Europe.
Euroscience has a very good reputation and was able to raise about 3 Million Dollars last year for its EuroScience initiative. Therefore our name is certainly an important commodity for us. Even worse are the policy messages from Bill Gates which may confuse people who are used to listen to policy messages from Euroscience.
Microsoft has contacted me. They promised to find another name and apologize for using our name - But the official response from Microsoft remains to be seen published. In the meantime on Google I get 12.000 hits on Euroscience/Bill Gates and 300 hits on Euroscience/Connerade - the president of Euroscience.Â
Best Regards
J. Degett | Re: President of EuroScience surprised by Bill Gate`s speech on EuroScience
remcook February 9th, 2005 - 1:55 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4243321.stm |
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