In the first part of the paper the author briefly describes the role of social sciences and humanities in the present in Europe and in Slovakia. The description focuses on those research fields, in which social sciences and humanities contribute to the scientific knowledge the most. In the second part the author addresses the questions, which were prepared by the organizers of the round table and sent to all participants in advance. Namely: How is the relationship between the state and scientific institutions? What sources of funding are available for scientific study? Which institutions and in what ways conduct studies in the humanities? How are the research topics for projects chosen? The answers to these questions are based on participant's experiences as a member of diverse Slovak and international research committees and institutions.
