US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB180

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000180 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/EUR LAWRENCE SCHWARTZ, IIP/T/GIC GERRI WILLIAMS, 
INFO EUR/PD INGRID LARSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, HR, Trade 
SUBJECT: Evaluation: U.S. Speakers on Collaborative Research 
Techniques, Zagreb, Croatia, January 9-13, 2005 
 
1. Name, date of program: Collaborative Research Techniques, 
January 9-13, 2005. 
 
2. Description of the Activity, including topic, venues, 
audiences: Three U.S. Speakers, Dr. Dennis Glanzman and Dr. Yuan 
Liu from the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Jorn Larsen- 
Basse from the National Science Foundation, spent three days in 
Zagreb, January 10-12, explaining to Croatian scientists and 
Ministry officials the "ins and outs" of their institutions and 
how to access joint research funds.  The Speakers addressed over 
200 scientists in Zagreb and eight other sites in Croatia, 
connected via digital video conferencing. They also had 
individual meetings at university faculties and institutes and 
at the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, where they met 
with another 50 researchers, faculty members, and government 
officials. 
 
The program was designed to assist Croatians to move to a level 
playing field for international research opportunities, in the 
wake of a recently signed updated Science and Technology 
Cooperation Agreement between the U.S. and Croatia.  The new 
agreement, while eliminating a small but earmarked amount of 
funds for joint projects, opens up many new U.S. research 
opportunities to Croatian social and hard scientists. 
 
This was a joint PA-Pol/Econ project. 
 
3. Effectiveness of Speakers in communicating intended messages 
to audiences: 
Anticipating the concern with which Croatian scientists would see 
the demise of the special set-aside fund, our counterparts at the 
Ministry of Science, Education and Sport appealed to the Embassy 
for assistance in explaining to Croatian scientists the 
decentralized U.S. support system for academic research.   The 
three U.S. speakers were excellent, sharing their extensive 
experience in grantsmanship and proposal preparation and review 
with approximately 250 researchers throughout Croatia.  All three 
gave clear and concise presentations, supported by their combined 
50-60 years of experience in the field.  They were open and 
approachable, and exhibited great interest in their Croatian 
colleagues.  With Ministry officials, the Speakers discussed how 
support for science can assist in the economic development of the 
country, while with the researchers and scientists, they 
effectively conveyed the U.S. scientific culture, promoting the 
values of innovation, perseverance, and occasional risk-taking. 
 
4. Quality of IIP support: Excellent.  IIP located exactly the 
kind of Speakers we needed. 
 
5. Immediate RESULTS/Impact:  This Speaker program should have a 
direct impact on the development of collaborative research 
projects between the U.S. and Croatia, and help move the Croatian 
academic community away from depending on state subsidies for 
research and scientific developments, as Croatia completes its 
transition from a socialist to democratic system. 
 
FRANK 
 
 
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