PRESIDENT'S NOTES

4 November 1999
Dear Colleague,

Just a brief note this time. The Academy newsletter should reach you soon, with more detail on these and other topics.

With best wishes,
Brian D O Anderson

HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING
The Academy has recommended that policy options for higher education funding should be subject to a green paper process, like that used for higher education research. My press statement on the subject is at www.science.org.au/
academy/media/highered.htm.

PRIME MINISTER’S SCIENCE COUNCIL
The Chief Scientist, Robin Batterham, is leading the work of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council with great energy. He also wishes to encourage contributions of information and comment on the council’s agenda. A brief account of each of the main items on the agenda for the 26 November meeting can be found at www.disr.gov.au/science/pmseic/pmseic.html. A hard copy can be requested from Rachel Douglas at ns@science.org.au or (02) 6247 3966.

POSITION OF FOREIGN SECRETARY
The Foreign Secretary, Michael Pitman, has stepped down for health reasons. As a result, Kurt Lambeck, who has resigned from the position of Secretary (Physical Sciences), will become Foreign Secretary. Bruce McKellar will fill the casual vacancy created by Kurt Lambeck’s resignation.

WEB SITE FOR DOME
The Academy’s Dome now has its own web site at www.science.org.au/
dome. The site includes history and personal memoirs.

RESEARCH JOURNALS
Following advice from the Chair of the Board of Standards of the Australian Journals of Scientific Research, Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe, the Academy has introduced some arrangements to ensure better circulation of information between journal advisory committees, National Committees and the Academy.

ETHICAL GUIDELINES
On the advice of the Secretary (Biological Sciences), John Young, the Executive Committee has invited Simon Gandevia, a Fellow from the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in Sydney, to represent the Academy on the Australian Health Ethics Committee’s working party to prepare ethical guidelines for research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

COUNCIL OF THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIES
The National Academies Forum, which brings together the Academies of Science, Technological Sciences and Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences, has been renamed the Council of the Australian Academies. The National Academies Forum web site (currently at www.naf.org.au) will be changed accordingly.

NEUMANN TURNS 90
Congratulations to Bernhard Neumann, who turned 90 on 15 October. An interview with Bernhard, who was the first head of the Department of Mathematics in the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Australian National University, is on the Academy’s web site at www.science.org.au/educatio/
bn.htm.

CAUGHLEY FELLOWSHIP
The 2000 Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship has been awarded to Dr Peggy Rismiller, from the University of Adelaide. Dr Rismiller will travel to Europe to report on her work with echidnas and goannas.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SCIENCE
The 26th General Assembly of the International Council of Science (ICSU), formerly the International Council of Scientific Unions, was held in Cairo on 29-30 September and was associated with a Symposium on Sciences for Food Production and Security. Graeme Pearman represented the Academy at the meetings and has prepared a report on the highlights (available from Rachel Douglas at ns@science.org.au or (02) 6247 3966). The new president of ICSU is Professor H Yoshikawa, a mechanical engineer from Japan, and Dr Larry Kohler is the newly appointed executive director.

OFFICE BEARERS OF THE ACADEMY

President, Professor Brian Anderson
phone (02) 6279 8667, fax (02) 6279 8688,
email 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

NATIONAL COMMITTEES
Minutes of the following meetings are available at www.science.org.au/internat/
natcomm/natcom.htm. Copies can be requested from Rachel Douglas at 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)