EERA and many other stakeholders were very concerned with the Green Paper, send out by the Commissioner for Research Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in February, because it did not mention Social Science and Humanities (SSH).
Following the hearing, the Commissioner and Directorate General has worked on the description of the new framework programme, Horizon 2020 and it will be launched on November 30.
In the meantime stakeholders, concerned with SSH, invited the Commissioner to a meeting in London on 10 November 10. Here she outlined six challenges, that will form the Horizon 2020. One of them is called: 'Inclusive, innovative and secure societies.' Most of that challenge targets SSH.
The Commissioner also stated:"Let me assure you that the European Commission shares the goals of the British Academy to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the social sciences and humanities and to champion their role and value."
You can read the Commissioner's speech here (<link http: europa.eu rapid _self external link in new>europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do)
This is good news: SSH and thus educational research has become visible. However we are concerned with the 'marriage' with 'security' because it is traditionally understood as a technological challenge. Of course we expressed our concerns and hope for the best!
In the meantime we are working on establishing an 'European Alliance for Social Science and Humanities' (provisional name) in order to pursue the concerns into the European Parliament and into the national parliaments.
Lejf Moos,
President of EERA