by Katja Simons

In the past few years, there has been an ongoing debate in Germany about a perceived “brain drain” from Germany to the United States and the general lamentation of the loss of German talent across the Atlantic. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) responded to this challenge by creating the German Academic International Network (GAIN), a forum and information platform for German scholars and scientists, aimed at encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunities in Europe. In this context, a panel discussion on the “Perspectives of Young Academics at German Universities” took place on May 15, 2004, in New York City.

by Alessandro Damiani

A few early signs of possible loss of speed in the U.S. R&D enterprise have drawn a great deal of attention in this country. That attention has quickly overflowed the limited science policy expert circles to reach the mass-circulation press and wider political debate. In the beginning, it was the release in April of the biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report, a reliable, generally undisputed reference for S&T policy analysts and policy makers. Its figures of research investment and S&T output show that "some non-OECD economies, including China, the Russian Federation and Taiwan, are slowly raising their spending relative to that of the OECD members;" that the U.S. share of publications in the world's key journals "continues to decline, indicative of the development of cutting-edge research capabilities elsewhere" [fig. 0-8]; that while the U.S. trade balance in knowledge-intensive products remains largely positive, "it is showing signs of a gradual decline;" and that a stable U.S. market share (and declining export share) of high-tech products is beginning to be challenged by the rapidly growing market (and export) shares of China, South Korea and other Asian countries.

by Martin Tichy

by Silke Weidinger

America’s sense of safety collapsed along with the World Trade Centertowers. It won’t be back. The events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax attacks, made it crystal clear that the threat of terror is more grave and more imminent than at any time in modern history.

by Norbert Frischauf and Alexander Soucek

“Sicherheitspolitische Aspekte der Raumfahrt –Space and Security"
February 9, 2004
Industriellenvereinigung, Vienna, Austria

February 9 saw one of the first conferences in Europe on the sensitive topic of “space and security," featuring six presentations of high-ranking experts in the areas of strategic planning, international law, technology and economics as well as policy making. The presentations were followed by an intense discussion on what types of challenges and threats are to be taken into account; how the USA and Europe are dealing with them; and what Europe should do in the near future to establish a successful security and military defense doctrine, while utilizing the power-multiplying factor “space.” The detailed program, each speaker’s curriculum vitae and the presentation can be downloaded on the Web site of the Austrian Space Forum at http://www.oewf.org/.