The age of scientists has come, Monika Vondráková writes for Aktualne.cz
Text by Zuzana Hronová for Aktualne.cz.
Only a few weeks ago the general public paid no attention to what scientists were developing in their laboratories; many considered their efforts unimportant and uninteresting. Now the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is under way and the eyes of the public, journalists, politicians and businesspeople are fixed on researchers.
Monika Vondráková is chair of the board of the Neuron Foundation, which supports young Czech scientists. She co-founded the fund ten years ago because she considers it essential to keep outstanding scientists in the Czech Republic. In her view they play a fundamental role in the development of Czech society.
Besides successfully leading Neuron, she also took part in founding the Anti-Corruption Endowment. In connection with the current coronavirus pandemic she says that "the age of scientists" has now arrived. People's attention is turning more than ever to scientists across disciplines, who alone could come up with a solution to the current situation. Hand in hand with the business sector.
"When we began honouring scientists at Neuron ten years ago, we wanted to draw attention to precisely this underestimation of their importance. Over those ten years the situation has moved on, and the unprecedented nature of the current crisis only confirms to the public worldwide that without support for science and scientists we are heading into a blind alley," Monika Vondráková says.
