Freedom and independence in international R&I collaboration, with Andreia Passos (INESC TEC)

In this week’s podcast we are talking about freedom, academic and research freedom more precisely. This is obviously a key issue for R&I since freedom to define our research and innovation pathways is at the heart of the scientific method. But we all know that freedom is relative… freedom is not absolute and is constrained by value systems, meaning sets of cultural dominant and powerful values that define a society or an organization.

For example, when set in a capitalist, liberal and democratic society, freedom (and many other values) can only be observed when they are universally recognized. Imagine, for example, you share all your research results in an open science paradigm, but your colleagues don’t. The lack of mutual benefit will make you think twice. Or imagine you are dependent on the knowledge or resources of an foreign entity to develop your work, or that you are not allowed to pursue a certain avenue of research by an inescapable governing power? Where is your freedom?

On the other hand, research and innovation is an inherently borderless and collaborative venture.

So, how to tackle these and other issues without limiting our freedom to research and innovate?

In a first attempt to provide research performing organizations with answers, the European Commission published a Staff Working Document on “Tackling R&I foreign interference”, this past week and we sat down for an extremely interesting and engaging conversation with Andreia Passos (Head of the International Relations Service at INESC TEC) and an initial exploration of how a research performing organization such as INESC TEC is already addressing the issue.