CREDIT: M. ENSERINK/SCIENCE
Physicist Serge Feneuille, 66, was director of France's National Center for Scientific Research and CEO of Lafarge, a major building materials company. Two months ago, President Jacques Chirac appointed him chair of the new 20-member High Council for Science and Technology, which advises the government on science policy.
Q: French scientists often say the government doesn't take them seriously, and some worry that the same may happen to your council.
If I thought we wouldn't be taken seriously, I wouldn't have taken the job. It's true that French governments have neglected science and technology for about 30 years. But today, politicians acknowledge that science is an important part of our national strategy. That's something new.
Q: What's ailing French science?
We have many problems, but the biggest one is micromanagement, which makes research unattractive as a profession. We need to find a way to recruit more young people, especially young women.
Q: You know the United States well. Can French science policy makers learn anything from the U.S. system?
The American system of research funding has led to autonomy for research groups, competition, and dynamism, three things that we don't have enough of in France. That's why I think it's inevitable that France and the rest of Europe slowly evolve towards the U.S. model. I call it the standard model.
