It has to be said that a substantial proportion of European universities and research centres lagged behind from an institutional standpoint for a very long time. International conferences, the international dissemination of knowledge, and necessity finally led to the beginnings of gradual change in old institutions where young people had virtually no say and power remained in the hands of the academic establishment, but it has to be said that there is still a long way to go. Firstly, there is the national composition of European research institutions. European universities and research institutes, both public and private with some exceptions, of course are essentially made up of national research scientists and technicians. Mobility for research scientists in Europe is a wish and a myth at present.
Mobility is largely inadequate.
We talk about a European research area, but the first concrete step towards a European research area would be for the researchers themselves to be part of it. People will of course tell me about international cooperation, and people who move around, but that is not the same thing. That was understood when the international scientific agencies and international scientific bodies were founded. The climate of joint work by people with different origins is in itself a factor that stimulates creativity and is a source of inspiration. For the moment, we are far from that, but it is this type of political decision that we lack at present.