RESEARCH WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 86, 22 January 1946, Page 5

RESEARCH WORK

POSITION OF UNIVERSITIES (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Jan.. 21. The suggestion that research in the universities had been divorced from teaching by Government action was made at a. meeting of the University Senate during a discussion on the small amount of research now being done in the universities. The discussion arose from remarks made by the Chancellor (Mr Justice Smith) in his address last week. The public of New Zealand, through its Government, made its decision 20 years ago on its attitude that research should be rather the function of -a. Government department than of the University, said Mr L. J. Wild (Feilding). “The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is increasing and its activities should be restricted. It has ceased to be a controlling body and is now, on a large scale, a directing body,” he said. Professor A. IT. Tocker (Christchuch) and the Vice-Chancellor (Sir Thomas Hunter, of Wellington) also expressed concern that research work was being taken out. of the hands of the University. Mr F. A. de la Mare (Hamilton) considered that the tyranny of examinations and “cramming” were still present in the University and were defeating efforts at research. Mr Justice Smith said: “If research in the Universities has been divorced from teaching by Government action we should know about it and the public should know. It is only fair to say that both Dr. Marsden, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and officials of the Department of Agriculture, have told me that they are anxious that the University should know that it is only fair that the University should undertake more pure research than it does.”