Slovak Academy of Science in for complicated year

The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) is to go through a difficult year on the heels of a cut in its budget, changes in its financial management and the merger of some of its institutes, new SAV head Pavol Šajgalík said after being installed in office by President Andrej Kiska on Thursday. "This is a very complicated year for us, because our budget is €2 million lower than last year ... with a sizable impact on the functioning of the institution, and we'll have to come to grips with it," said Šajgalík. His appointment came shortly after Kiska officially dismissed Šajgalík's predecessor Jaromír Pastorek. A new law governing public research institutions is also to affect SAV, said Šajgalík. "SAV should adopt a new kind of management as of next year. Alongside this new management, we're cutting down on a number of institutes, so a kind of integration within SAV will take place. That's not an easy process," said Šajgalík. At any rate, he said that he doesn't expect the situation to prompt SAV to downsize its personnel. Šajgalík went on to highlight the importance of the newly-established position of Government Proxy for Research and Innovations, which is to be taken by his predecessor Pastorek. "This position is very significant, and I think we'll work very closely with the Government Proxy," said Šajgalík.