ERC President Visits Croatia, Engages with Scientific Community
Published: June 9th 2023.
ERC President Visits Croatia, meeting held at the Ministry of Science and Education
After she visited Slovenia, the President of the European Research Council (ERC) also visited Croatia. She met with Prime Minister Plenković and Minister Fuchs, followed by numerous representatives of the Croatian scientific community who seized the opportunity to connect with the institution that generously funds top-tier research in Europe. The Council’s support is considered a kind of scientific Oscar, and so far, eight Croatian projects have received it. One of these projects is the ERC Synergy project “Aneuploidy,” awarded to Iva Tolić and Nenad Pavin.
ERC-funded projects represent the best research in Europe and are awarded to scientists solely based on the excellence of their research work. The competition is fierce, with the European Commission selecting only 8 to 15 percent of the total number of applications. Furthermore, the ERC emphasizes that scientists leading ERC projects have all the necessary conditions for excellence in their work at their home institutions.
During a meeting held at the Ministry of Science and Education, Professor Leptin stated: “Croatia has talent, and that talent needs support. It was interesting to talk with university rectors, institutional leaders, and Academy representatives, encouraging them to leverage ERC funds and their talent to develop innovations, industry, healthcare, and other fields in Croatia,” said Professor Maria Leptin.