Flemish academics rebel against pressure to publish

More than 150 Flemish scientists have gathered to protest against the rising pressure to get their work published in journals. The Higher Education Action Group has had enough of the prevailing climate at Flemish universities these days, one that is "obsessed with publications and quantity," according to historian Koen Aerts (Ghent University). Aerts and nine other young researchers are at the forefront of the protest against the pressure to perform. In an open letter complaining about the current working conditions, they wrote: "Earlier publications were a means of communicating about research," he says. "Today they have become an end in itself. Researchers are now encouraged to publish as much as possible, often at the expense of gathering new knowledge and insight."