by Eleonora Windisch

Abstract

by Michael Stampfer

and background information on
Frank Stronach and his Institute by Stefan Eichberger

Abstract
Graz University of Technology (TUG) will receive about €24 million over the next ten years from the MAGNA industrial group, to build up the 'Frank Stronach Institute (FSI).' This deal is definitely different from the usual ways of financing research in Austrian universities. Moreover, it can be labeled neither as typical contract research nor as a typical donation, therefore raising fundamental questions of science–industry cooperation in a given country. It is an altogether remarkable step on the long path to 'multiple funding', i.e., a broader finance base for the Austrian universities.

by Johann Sattler

The debate that had been boiling under the surface came to a head in summer this year. Ron Reagan, the son of the late President Ronald Reagan, who died of Alzheimer’s disease in May, spoke at the Democratic(!) Convention in Boston and declared that the American people had a choice to make “between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology.” Mr. Reagan insinuated, as had been done numerous times by his mother Nancy Reagan, that allowing embryonic stem cell research could have extended President Reagan’s life. Democratic presidential contender John Kerry espoused this issue and assailed President Bush for having effectively put a ban on research in this area. And with that, the debate about embryonic stem cell research was suddenly in the spotlight of the election campaign. Even First Lady Laura Bush entered the debate and, unusually combative, called John Kerry’s criticism of President’s Bush policy on stem cell research “ridiculous.” What had happened was that the Kerry campaign had found that stem cell research was an excellent issue to portray President Bush, who has been running as a “compassionate conservative,” as exactly the opposite, namely uncompassionate

by Franz Pichler

Newspapers in Europe and the United States have widely reported the new team of European Commissioners under President José Manuel Barroso. There are many new faces, such as Benita Ferrero-Waldner from Austria (External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy) and Janez Potocnik from Slovenia (who will be in charge of Science and Research). The current Commissioner in charge of enlargement, Guenter Verheugen, will become Vice President and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, a function that also includes the important portfolio of space. The consensus is that the new Commission will place a renewed emphasis on the goals of the Lisbon agenda to make Europe the most dynamic economy in the world by 2010.