For the past decade, the ‘Venice process’ has been rebuilding scientific co-operation among Southeast European countries. Named after the Italian city which hosts UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE), the Venice Process has dual aims On the one hand, it sets out to heal some of the wounds inflicted by the violent break-up in the 1990s of the former Yugoslavia, once a major player in European science. In parallel, the Venice Process sets out to build scientific co-operation between the sub-region and the rest of Europe, in order to prepare countries for integration into the European Research Area.
The Venice Process was officially launched at the Venice Conference of Experts on Rebuilding Scientific Cooperation in Southeastern Europe on 24–27 March 2001. Seven months later, the recommendations adopted by the conference met with the unanimous approval of the ministers responsible for S&T from the countries concerned, at a roundtable organized during UNESCO’s General Conference. Also attending the roundtable were numerous countries from the European Union and several non-governmental organizations.
Since 2002, UNESCO’s Venice office has provided science policy advice and expertise to Southeast European countries, in order to raise awareness of the importance of investing in S&T for national and regional development. In addition to gathering ministers and other high-level decision-makers together on issues related to STI governance, BRESCE has contributed to the elaboration of the national STI strategies of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania.
BRESCE has also provided financial support and devised schemes to encourage regional networking in life sciences, environmental sciences and astronomy, as a means of tackling brain drain, supporting communication services and strengthening scientific cooperation as a tool for reconciliation and dialogue. Since 2003, four new southeast European networks have been launched.
In 2004, Slovenia became a member of the European Union, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey have candidate status.
Further reading
In recent years, the Venice office has published a series of monographs on science in South East Europe within UNESCO’s Science Policy Studies series. Themes include Why invest in Science in South Eastern Europe?, accessing and disseminating information, and the state of S&T statistics production in countries of the sub-region.
The Venice office has also published guidelines for a science and research policy for Bosnia & Herzegovina (2006).
Go to these publications
Read the interview of former ROSTE Director, Howard, Moore, published in A World of Science in July 2005
(ENG,
FRE)
Read about UNESCO’s project with Hewlett Packard to combat brain drain in South East Europe. (A World of Science, July 2005)
Read the chapter on South East Europe in the UNESCO Science Report 2005 (ENG, FRE)
Contact the project coordinator in Venice
Useful link
Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
Science Policy
