Scientists: The Education Ministry does not pay enough to CERN

CERN is Slovakia’s most costly international scientific collaboration.

An illustrative pictureAn illustrative picture (Source: TASR/AP)

The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) and several universities have claimed Slovakia is failing to fulfil its obligations under international treaties, such as its obligations towards the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

Slovakia has been a CERN member since 1993. The country pays a membership fee of almost €5.5 million every year. Its maturity expired this summer, but the Education Ministry paid only half of it so far, the Denník N daily reported.

The ministry said it tries to pay the sums, but "the costs are rising faster than the ministry’s resources [assigned] for this purpose". Hence, the Education Ministry has repeatedly asked the Finance Ministry for an increase in funding.

SkryťTurn off ads
Related article Šajgalík: Slovakia needs to open itself to foreign scientists Read more 

"It is essential these commitments be settled in the coming days so that the country does not have to face a halt to ongoing projects and an internationally negative response," the SAV and universities wrote in their statement, as quoted by TASR.

A blow to Slovak science

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

From left to right: Culture Ministry Chief of Staff Lukáš Machala, Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, SNS leader Andrej Danko.

MP Huliak's odd test, whooping cough on the rise, and a Slovak detained in Congo.


New projects will change the skyline of Bratislava.

Among the established names are some newcomers.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
SkryťClose ad