In a letter addressed to Slovak Academy of Sciences chair Pavol Sajgalik and members of academia on Thursday, President Zuzana Caputova praised the contributions made by Slovak scientists during the pandemic. At the same time she voiced pride in the fact that progress has been achieved in the laboratories of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) in terms of testing for the new strain of coronavirus. "I hope that the current situation will help to explain better the societal importance of all scientific fields and will lead to the development of infrastructure for basic research as one of its positive consequences," stated Caputova. The president is saddened by the fact that scientific knowledge is being disregarded nowadays, which is why she appreciates the courage shown by scientists in joining the public debate on coronavirus and exposing themselves all the more to scathing criticism. "Every bit of attention from such a distinguished figure as the president of the Slovak Republic is a cause for pleasure, all the more so that the letter was addressed to the entire institution. That was partly why we published it, at the explicit request of the president," claimed Sajgalik. He is also pleased that Caputova views SAV as an extraordinary institution that not only takes part in the proverbial war against the pandemic but also as an institution that can combat disinformation and lies. "That's where we're on the same page as the president, and that's also one of the tasks of SAV in this society."
Source: TASR
