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Novoročný koncert hudobne otvoril Jozef Lupták Bachovým Prelúdiom d mol.

Trust and confidence of science in Slovakia

14. 1. 2017 | 2051 visits
The Primate's Palace in Bratislava on Friday held a gala New Year's concert SAS. It was attended by many personalities from social life, the scientific community and invited guests from the diplomatic corps in Slovakia.
Music evokes the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust in the good in people. Guests were welcomed by President of the Academy of Sciences prof. Paul Šajgalík:
“What then do I wish for the New Year? I wish us all to have mutual trust. More trust. Furthermore, I would like this trust not only to be awakened in us this evening listening to the sounding tones of the celebratory concert, but the good in us should play a major role when we go home, when we empower people at the workplace or walk the streets alongside our fellow inhabitants of this planet.
This year, many countries have survived tragic events, in Nice, Berlin or Istanbul. In the face of the migration wave, Europe is facing a crisis of its values. In this context, the call for trust seems naive and unnecessary.
After all it does not seem to apply to us. We indulge in the feeling of safety and the calm of a certain dirigisme, we bask in the comfort of stable and albeit low, income. We take freedom for granted. We automatically demand freedom of exploration. We forget that nothing is ever certain.
And so this brings us back to trust, a word that is violated and is slowly losing its true and original meaning. The Slovak dictionary defines the word trust as follows: faith in the honesty, reliability and accuracy of an act or words of someone, an inclination or willingness to trust someone, or expectations of a person or organization that their future behaviour will be within the framework of shared values or moral ideas.
In the interpretation of the word trust we suddenly see the word connection between ".... actions in line with shared values ...” Do we therefore have common values in our society and in particular SAS? What are common values to our community?
To put this in more youthful terms: holy cow that’s a tough one!
We probably agree that SAS does research. We speak one language, Slovak, but do we all understand the same meaning of the word research?
Once again with the help of dictionaries, let’s take a look at the Oxford Dictionary. Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. In science one tends to distinguish between basic research and applied research, experimental and theoretical, etc....

So how are the terms trust and research linked?

With full knowledge that not everything can be measured and incorporated into transparent tables, the results can also be negative, with full knowledge of both the positive and negative that it will bring, last year we launched the historic first ever SAS international science audit project.
Let us therefore fight at SAS. Together. Let us work together and trust each other. SAS will be healthy and trustworthy only through the moulding of trustworthy scientists. It will only be strong and fully reputable, in a world where almost everything is possible, where Facebook status has stronger status than scientific argument, when it seeks and speaks the truth.
And so I conclude this speech with the following statement:
What do I wish for the New Year? I wish for mutual trust for all. More trust in yourself and more trust in others,” said among other things prof. Paul Sajgalik on gala New Year's concert SAS. (spn)