PRESIDENT'S NOTES
21 November 2000
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to another note in which I try to keep you up to date with what is happening at the Australian Academy of Science. For a fuller picture of the Academy's activities, I recommend our website (http://www.science.org.au).
With best wishes,
Brian D O Anderson
NEW HEAD FOR CSIRO
It is good that CSIRO will soon have a new Chief Executive, Dr Geoff Garrett, the former Chief Executive of CSIR in South Africa. I am particularly pleased to see the emphasis that Dr Garrett places on excellence in scientific research. He has said that this is what distinguishes a top research organisation from those that under-perform. The Chair of the CSIR Board in South Africa has said 'he has added great value...for our country'. That is also an important goal for a leader of CSIRO. I wish him well in his work and offer him the wholehearted cooperation of the Academy. See the Academy’s press release at http://www.science.org.au/media/csirohead.htm.
GOVERNMENT DISCUSSIONS
The Secretary (Science Policy), John White, and I have been having many discussions with government officials, Ministers and their staffs about the reports of the Chief Scientist, Robin Batterham, and the Innovation Summit Implementation Group. John is also preparing a comment to the Senate inquiry into the proposed legislation for the Australian Research Council and will be submitting advice to another Parliamentary Committee enquiry into the condition of our universities. I have been chairing a Working Group of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council on information and communication science and technology. At the next PMSEIC meeting on 30 November Robin Batterham, David Miles and I will be presenting on our three items. If anyone wishes to support the Chief Scientist's or ISIG recommendations with their local member, or Ministers, that would be most welcome.
INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATIONS
A Fellow from the University of Melbourne, Professor David Boger, has attended the first General Assembly of the Association of Academies of Science in Asia as an observer. The Academy has accepted the invitation of the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues to be nominated for election as a member of the Panel’s council. The IAP is a grouping of many of the world's science Academies, and addresses such issues as sustainability, and science capacity building in developing countries.
EUROPEAN-AUSTRALIAN COOPERATION
The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST) is an initiative of the diplomatic missions representing members of the European Union in Australia, in association with major Australian science and technology organisations, including the Academy of Science. The aim is to highlight and improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Europe and Australia. Our Foreign Secretary, Kurt Lambeck, is working with our diplomatic and scientific partners to develop FEAST. The FEAST website is at http://www.france.net.au/feast. Any Fellow with significant connections with Europe is invited to register.
AIDS SYMPOSIUM, 29-30 NOVEMBER
The final program for the National Academies Forum symposium, Every Eight Seconds: AIDS revisited, is at http://www.naf.org.au/aids.htm. You are welcome to attend the free public discussion on ‘AIDS: Private morals and public policy’ with the Most Reverend George Pell, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, and Ian Rankin, ex-President of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS at 5.30pm, Wednesday 29 November at the National Library theatre in Canberra.
DIARY HIGHLIGHTS
24 November: Closing date for registrations for the NAF symposium on AIDS (ds@science.org.au)
27 November: Australian Foundation for Science AGM
28 November: Victorian Group Christmas Party, 7.00 for 7.30pm, The Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens, Carlton ($65/head). All AAS Fellows welcome to attend. Contact Professor Geoffrey Opat at g.opat@physics.unimelb.edu.au
30 November: Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council
29-30 November: NAF symposium on AIDS
1 December: 283 Council
OFFICE BEARERS
President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6279 8667, fax (02) 6279 8688,
brian.anderson@anu.edu.au
Secretary (Physical Sciences), Professor Bruce McKellar
phone (03) 9344 5122, b.mckellar@physics.unimelb.edu.au
Secretary (Biological Sciences), Professor John Young
phone (02) 9351 4600, johny@physiol.usyd.edu.au
Secretary (Science Policy), Professor John White
phone (02) 6249 3578, jww@rsc.anu.edu.au
Foreign Secretary, Professor Kurt Lambeck
phone (02) 6249 5161, kurt.lambeck@anu.edu.au
Treasurer, Professor Athel Beckwith
phone (02) 6249 3234, beckwith@rsc.anu.edu.au
