Delegations of science academies from V4 countries - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary - met on 23rd-24th April 2007 in Smolenice Castle near Bratislava. They discussed mutual cooperation and also relationship to European Science Foundation and European Research Council (see second cover) and Jan Palouš.
Featured in this issue is the Final Report of an international audit critical of the system of assessment and funding of science and research in the Czech Republic. While concluding that change is imperative, the auditors praised the increasing quality of Czech scientific work. The Final Report was presented by the Ministry of the Education, Youth and Sport on October 13, 2011. The auditors primarily deplored the low state support and minimal funding of science by the industrial sector. They recommend abandoning the current methodology of research and development results assessment and the questionable mechanical calculation of the level of funding of individual institutions based on it. The Education Ministry's representatives affirmed that the Czech Republic will launch a project of a new, more efficient funding of science. The audit of the Czech research system was carried out by the international team during 2010-2011 with support from the Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the ASCR. and Jiří Rákosník.
Forty years ago, the first person set his foot on the surface of the Moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong made the first step on the Moon from Apollo 11’s landing craft designated named the Eagle on July 20, 1969. He summed up this monumental event with his well-known prediction: “That is one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind”. The moon landing is seen as the highest point of U.S. space program motivated by a long-running space race with the former Soviet Union. Twelve years before the Apollo 11 mission, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into the Earth’s orbit. and Antonín Vítek.