Costas Vergopoulos
«The demand for scientific personnel in Greece is considerably less than the supply, whether in the state or private sector,» said Vergopoulos. «Greek students are eager to learn, demanding and questioning. They have all the qualifications to get ahead and they do so, but far more abroad than at home. «In order to build an environment with high specifications, one needs laboratories, specialized periodicals, scientific debate, and an open line to developments in the rest of the world; the exact opposite of narcissism and provincialism. Over half of the Greek student population is studying abroad, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. However, thereafter a large proportion is lost since there are no attractive conditions for scientific work in Greece. «Recently several university positions have opened up, but the Greek system of selection remains a closed shop. At the same time, scientific research is way behind. Everyone needs to realize that expenditure on research is a substantial and productive investment in what we call human capital. «In Greece, although we have made impressive progress in technical infrastructure, we have not invested in research so as to make use of that infrastructure.»
