Carlos Moedas, secretary of state to Portugal’s center-right prime minister, has been appointed European commissioner in charge of research, science, and innovation here today. If his appointment is approved by the European Parliament, he will take over from Máire Geoghegan-Quinn for a 5-year term.
Moedas will oversee the use of funds from Horizon 2020, the European Union’s €80 billion research program. In his mission letter, Jean-Claude Juncker, president-elect of the European Commission, says Moedas’s tasks shall include monitoring national research policies, making sure that “Commission proposals and activities are based on sound scientific evidence,” and focusing more on applied research.
Moedas, 44, has no particular research policy experience. He worked as an engineer before turning to banking and economics. After an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2000, he worked as a banker for Goldman Sachs and Aguirre Newman and founded his own investment company in 2008. (1)
Science dictated by bankers.
Science dictated by money.
But true knowledge is way too expensive to buy.
True knowledge claims your very life.
Like Midas chasing down Silenus, are you ready to give away everything in order to learn the secret of existence itself?
No, it takes no dollars or euros.
Just your body and flesh…
Give them up in order to see beyond them.
No Paypal required!
PS. AFTER I wrote the article did I realize the fact that the man in the article was named “Moedas” like Midas I mentioned in my comment! The subconscious plays an important role. Or was it pure coincidence?