LIST: Positive outlook after scrutiny from peers

On 6 March 2019 at the occasion of a press conference in the presence of international experts-evaluators, the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Claude Meisch, presented the results of the external evaluation of the public research centres (CRP).

After the evaluation of individual departments at the beginning of the decade, this evaluation is the first holistic evaluation of public research centres Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) since their creation and covers the years 2014-2017. For the first time, all the activities of the research centres were systematically and thoroughly assessed by external experts, who screened all the research departments, the central administration and governance. More than 35 international experts have been involved to evaluate the different areas and activities of the CRPs according to the principle of peer review.

For Claude Meisch, the results of the evaluations show that the CRPs are well established in Luxembourg’s socio-economic landscape and that the annual allocations, of about 95 million euros, represent an investment for the future. Among the positive points are to give an example:

• very favorable framework conditions (salaries, budget and infrastructure);
• attractiveness for young researchers from all over the world. CRP-University cooperation, particularly in the context of doctoral training, has also brought added value;
• good scientific performance in some areas, even at the international level.

In particular, for LIST:

• the decision to merge the CRPs Gabriel Lippmann and Henri Tudor to form LIST was welcomed by the evaluators;
• great potential for development through the establishment of a thematic strategy and internationalization;
• intensification of synergies and cooperation between LIST’s research departments.

More generally, the issues that require particular attention include the balance between more basic research and applied research, a more strategic approach to cooperation with public or private stakeholders, and more sustained efforts in the field of research  in terms of internationalization and participation in European programmes.

> Find more information (in French) about the review at mesr.public.lu.

Press release from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research  / Photo credit ©MESR