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Science and technology landscape in a changing world

Enhancing US collaboration with the EU and its

members states

Alice Dautry

President, Institut Pasteur

Common values and traditions

• In a rapidly changing and unstable world

• Values of freedom of expression and democracy

• Science, technology and innovation to improve human welfare and sustainable development

• Complexity of questions to address

• Necessity to be more efficient at times of economic crisis

Why to strengthen collaboration

• Partnerships : numerous existing ones.

Large diversity of bilateral programs

Existing EU US partnerships : health….

• People : in Europe, many scientists were partly trained in the USA. Ex: more than 3/4 of scientists recruited last 10 years at Institut Pasteur, are American or were trained in the USA

Less true about American scientists being trained in Europe Need to foster these exchanges, at all levels. Ex: the ERC, the Marie Curie program, etc…

Strong basis for collaboration

• Regulations : in common projects, find ways to have to follow one set of rules, and not both in all instances

Ex: issues concerning ethics in health science and biology

• Lack of knowledge about possibilities Europe offers for scientists

• Administration and rules: different between US and European agencies and need to be simplified

Some obstacles to overcome

• There is a whole host of international texts on the ethical evaluation of health research. No serious contradictions, but they do nevertheless differ in terms of their scope and target group, and whether or not they are binding.

• In the US and other English speaking countries, ethical review of research protocols is done by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).In other countries, as in France, research ethics committees (REC) are not institutional but set up by the State.

Some obstacles to overcome :one example

Proposal : an initiative to produce a common text, common guidelines listing the requirements as to ethics of research would thus go a long way towards ensuring that greater consideration is given to the ethical aspects of research protocols.

Some obstacles to overcome :example about ethics and proposal

Global activities

Necessity to have common actions between EU and the USA on issues relating to developing countries

• In a rapidly changing and very unstable world

• Questions to address are even more acute and complex: health, food, energy, demography, environment

• Common responsibility of Europe and the US

• Need to be more efficient for a better balanced world.

Why to strengthen collaboration

• Flu and acute respiratory diseases diagnosis and

surveillance (South east Asia, Africa..)

A program involving DHHS, French ministries of foreign

affairs and of health, and EU

• Institut Pasteur and Institutes in Bangui, Cameroun,

Central African republic, Ivory coast, Madagascar,

Senegal, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Example of program concerning preparedness to flu

• Flu and acute respiratory diseases diagnosis and

surveillance (South east Asia, Africa..)

A program involving DHHS, French ministries of foreign

affairs and of health, and EU

Institut Pasteur and Institutes in Bangui, Cameroun,

Central African republic, Ivory coast, Madagascar,

Senegal, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam; collaborations with

WHO and CDC

Example of program concerning preparedness to flu

• Surveillance, creation of sentinel sites and reference

centers for flu

• Outbreak early investigation and follow up

• Training of local personnel, scientists and technicians

• Building cutting edge adapted technology

The partnership has created : a well structured flu surveillance

network, integrated with the local and regional organizations.

It allows to investigate outbreaks, monitor resistance and helps

provide the authorities with information and scientific guidance

Example of program concerning preparedness to flu

Technology in developing countries for preparedness

Inauguration of the safety BSL3 laboratory in Institut Pasteur in Bangui

A new Institute to open in Laos (with support from various donors, including France, Luxembourg and the USA)

ThankThank youyou

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Science and technology landscape in a changing world

Enhancing US collaboration with the EU and its

members states

Alice Dautry

President, Institut Pasteur