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To all personnel that take part in INRIA’s missions
I have just been appointed Head of INRIA. I have accepted this new
charge because I am very proud of what people in this research institute
have accomplished over the last 30 years. They have made it a sparkling
place for research and a thriving source of innovations.
As I take this position, I want to express with you all my deep sympathy
to my predecessor, Michel Cosnard, whose decision we understand and
respect. Events such as this make us pause and think about essentials in
life.
INRIA has been through a period of potential vulnerability since Bernard
Larrouturou's departure. Actually, thanks to Hervé Mathieu's talents
and
dedication, thanks to the team spirit that has pervaded the institute,
we emerge stronger.
Thinking about the role of research in our country has taken a new
dimension, animated debate is taking place in the media, and people in
our country have shown that they are interested. This is good news for
research, for science, for our children.
At INRIA we are very lucky. On the one hand, the topics that we work
on
are intellectually exciting, and they force us to revise constantly our
ready-made ideas. On the other hand, our research has an impact on
crucial questions for our society : what is the economic future of a
country like ours, how does one grant access to knowledge to everyone,
how important is our security, how can medical treatment be improved. We
are, for the long term, in a field that matters.
But nothing is ours forever. If the institute is strong, it is thanks
to
our work and to our results. Everyone has a contribution to make. I
have the ambition, that I want to share with you, to head a team that
will be proud of its results.
Gilles Kahn
