PRESIDENT'S NOTES
4 September 2000
Dear Colleague,
It was good to see so many of you at the commemoration for Sir Mark Oliphant, organised by the Academy and ANU. The talks - from the Governor-General, from ANU Chancellor Peter Baume and Erich Weigold, from Sir Mark's grandson Michael Wilson, and myself - showed some of the many facets of this great Australian. His contribution to science and the nation lives on. The talks are available on the Academy's website at http://www.science.org.au/oliphant.htm.
This note is also available in HTML format on the Academy’s website, in the section reserved for use by Fellows (http://www.science.org.au/documents). You will need to enter the user name 'fellow' and the password 'becker'.
With best wishes,
Brian D O Anderson
SCIENCE CAPABILITY REVIEW
The Chief Scientist’s Australian Science Capability Review has provided a stark image of the contrast between the course taken by advanced economies and current trends in Australia. Robin Batterham’s proposals provide us with some highly effective steps we can take to boost our knowledge base in science education, research, development and commercialisation of technology. I have commended the Review’s recommendations and will encourage the Government to implement them (http://www.science.org.au/ academy/media/innovate2.htm). We have a valuable opportunity to boost our research and innovation capacity. These opportunities are not frequent. I hope you will lend your support to the Chief Scientist’s proposals. Written input, from as senior a person as in your organisation as possible, to Senator Nick Minchin and the Prime Minister (address: Parliament House, Canberra) would be very helpful. The Review is available at http://www.isr.gov.au/new/index.html.
INNOVATION REPORT
The report of the Innovation Summit Implementation Group is also expected soon.
Both of these reports give us an opportunity to focus on the directions that science and innovation need to take in Australia. We particularly need stable, bipartisan support for research and development policies and I was pleased to note the Opposition Shadow Minister for Industry, Bob McMullan, supporting the Chief Scientist’s proposals.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL
I have been chairing a working group of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council which has been preparing a proposal for action in the field of information and communication technology. The group’s report is nearly finished.
PhD ACCREDITATION
A group of physicists has recommended that the Academy take a role in the accreditation of the award of PhDs in science. There are both advantages and difficulties. Advice is being prepared for Academy Council.
EUROPEAN UNION
The Academy’s Foreign Secretary, Kurt Lambeck, has had discussions with the science attache of the French embassy. He is proposing a broad-ranging meeting during the current period in which France holds the presidency of the European Union.
PROFESSOR RON EKERS
Professor Ron Ekers, FAA, Director of the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, has been voted president-elect of the International Astronomical Union at its general assembly in Manchester, England. Professor Ekers will be president-elect for 3 years and become president for a 3-year term in 2003, the year the IAU general assembly is held in Sydney.
FREW FELLOWSHIP
Professor Mark Kasevich, Yale University, New Haven CT, has accepted the Academy's invitation to visit Australia as the 2001 Frew Fellow. Professor Kasevich will present the Frew lecture at the Optics, Lasers and Spectroscopy Conference in Brisbane 8-13 July 2001. He will also visit universities and research institutions in a number of Australian cities. The contact for Professor Kasevich is Peter Hannaford (03) 9542 2874 or mailto:hannaford@cmst.csiro.au.
FUNDING FOR NOVA: SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
Our Nova: Science in the News website (http://www.science.org.au/nova) is achieving extraordinarily high visibility. We have now received funding from the Science and Technology Awareness Program of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to develop new technology topics. Part of the funding is a matching grant, so that the cost to a sponsor of any one topic is $2750 (including GST) rather than $5500. This provides us with a great opportunity to disseminate quality information on important science topics very widely indeed. For more information contact Nancy Lane at (02) 6247 5777 or mailto:do@science.org.au.
The Academy was pleased to offer confidential comment in 2000 on proposed changes to the Science and Technology Awareness Program.
DIARY HIGHLIGHTS
4 September: Board of the Australian Foundation for Science
6 September: Executive Committee
12 September: Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council Standing Committee
15 September: Finance Committee
11 October: 282 Council
13 October: National Science and Industry Forum meeting on greenhouse gases
20 October: 'Schizophrenia and other psychoses' symposium
8 November: Executive Committee
27 November: Australian Foundation for Science AGM
30 November: Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council
1 December: 283 Council
NATIONAL COMMITTEES
Minutes of the following meetings are available at http://www.science.org.au/
internat/natcomm/natcom.htm. Copies can be requested from Ros Wallace at mailto:ns@science.org.au or (02) 6247 3966.
- Plant sciences (18 October 1999)
- Animal sciences (13 August 1999)
- Geography (30 July 1999)
- Astronomy (12 July 1999)
- Quaternary research (11 June 1999)
- Biophysics (21 May 1999)
OFFICE BEARERS OF THE ACADEMY
President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6279 8667, fax (02) 6279 8688,
mailto:brian.anderson@anu.edu.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Professor Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 9344 5122, mailto:b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), Professor John Young
phone (02) 9351 4600, mailto:johny@physiol.usyd.edu.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Professor John White
phone (02) 6249 3578, mailto:jww@rsc.anu.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Professor Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6249 5161, mailto:kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Professor Athel Beckwith
phone (02) 6249 3234, mailto:beckwith@rsc.anu.edu.au
