Romanian research minister Serban Valeca completely changed the membership of four essential institutions in the research area, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette on Monday, cited by local Hotnews.ro.

The minister removed from the boards of these research institutions all the Romanian researchers working at foreign universities, as well as many representatives of large Romanian universities such as the Babes Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. In their place, the minister appointed a Social Democratic Party (PSD) local councilor, union leaders, and even a person with a criminal record.

The four research institutions include The National Council of Ethics for Scientific Research, Technological Development and Innovation (CNECSDTI), The National Council for Scientific Research (CNCS), The Consultative College for Research and Development and Innovation (CCCDI), The National Council for Technology Transfer and Innovation (CNTTI).

The National Council of Ethics, for example, saw the removal of all the four Romanian researchers who came from foreign universities such as Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon (INSA Lyon) or the Technical University of Denmark. Instead, the council saw the appointment of a 70-year old member of the Romanian Academy, a union representative, and a PSD members of the Bucharest General Council.

editor@romania-insider.com