JRC included in Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science

Brussels, 30 May 2003

The inclusion of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) in the 'Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science' for the first time has been welcomed by the JRC's Director-General, Barry Mc Sweeney.

The book is described by publishers Oxford University Press as presenting 'an unparalleled history of the field invaluable to anyone with an interest in the technology, ideas, discoveries and learned institutions that have shaped our world over the past five centuries.'

'I am very pleased to note the inclusion of the JRC in the Oxford Companion. We are happy that our contribution to science has been noted and hopefully the inclusion will attract an even greater number of collaborative research partners to the JRC,' Mr Mc Sweeney told CORDIS News, noting that around 2,000 collaborative research groups currently work with the JRC.

The JRC is included in the section 'multinational laboratories' and is therefore put on a par with organisations such as CERN, the European centre for nuclear research.

Alluding to the talent within the JRC which is often not recognised, the Oxford Companion states: 'Historians of science have not yet evaluated the contribution of key JRC actors such as David Wilkinson, Marc Cuypers, and, especially, Hans Jørgen Helms.'

'I hope that this will not pass unnoticed by the Commission. This is one of the first times that the formal academic community pays attention to the great contribution of the JRC,' contributing editorial advisor and assistant author for the book Regis Cabral, from the Swedish national institute for working life, told CORDIS News.

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities