Race For Scientists UNIVERSITIES AND NATIONAL SURVIVAL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 12

Race For Scientists UNIVERSITIES AND NATIONAL SURVIVAL

[By the committee of the Canterbury branch, Association of University Teachers of New Zealand.}

The race for scientists has begun. New Zealand has no time to waste—indeed, she already has leeway to make up, and is losing qualified graduates to other countries at an alarming rate. Whatever easy assumptions once underlay New Zealand attitudes — isolation, secure markets abroad, comfortable living, early retirement, uad the like—vanished last year when the Sputnik flared across our skies.

New Zealand stands, like Australia, on the rim of the storm centre of the world, with two huge empires, Russia and China, power-minded and efficient, ready to inherit ' the earth —and the planets as well. Science, both pure and applied, at the highest level, is an elementary condition of national survival. As Russia has shown, universities and university research are a top priority: any country not prepared to make them such will go to the wall. It is therefore most unwise for this country to allow a temporary economic recession, however grave, to stampede its resources into a timid retreat. Countries abroad that have like economic difficulties —the United Kingdom the United States, Australia. Canada —have simply refused to let this affect the long-term planning and long-term prospects that they have in view. On the contrary, they are straining every nerve and every resource in pursuit of the new technocracy, pouring money into the universities and research institutes, and recruiting by every possible inducement, financial and technical, the most highly qualified men on the world market.

Russian Example Soviet Russia, in particular, has set itself astronomical targets in the* turning out of technologists and technicians: it has temnted some verv eminent scientists abroad to throw in their lot with Russia, and outstanding professors in scientific -''disciplines can command salaries of £lo,ooo* a year, while the scientific heads of a project like the Sputnik go to £25,000. The Russians are not given to irresponsible flights of fancy: this remuneration rate is a sober, realistic, business estimate of the value of top-rank brainpower to the economy of a modern state. Contrast this with New Zealand’s chronic, complacent export of brainpower to the four corners of the earth. The universities of Australia and Great Britain, in particular, are disproportionately staffed with New Zealand graduates: many of them would gladly return if this country would offer them even an approximation to what they can get abroad—adequate research equipment, good library facilities, laboratories which are not crowded Heath Robinson anachronisms, and salaries comparable with those obtaining on the world market. No first-class scholar can be expected to remain —though some out of loyalty do —in centres where administration crowds in on teaching, and teaching crowds out research. He will gravitate naturally to centres where intellectual energy and curiosity can harness themselves to worthwhile objectives in worthwhile conditions. And it should not be forgotten that these conditions abroad are provided, in the last resort, by hard-headed, calculating politicians with their feet on the good earth, men who know what the future holds, of promise or menace, and are convinced that national defence, national survival, depend on toprank universities. Let us hear no more of the defeatist plea that “this is a small country, and we can’t compete in the world market.” We can, and must. If that particular plea had prevailed, Switzerland would never have bad its superb light engineering industry, nor Australia its powerful iron and steel manufactures, nor Israel its agricultural engineering and the magnificent post-war resurrection They were small countries like this—but they got down to the job. This is not a poor country, except in drive, and strenuous planning for the new technological order.

No Future in Conservatism

The day is long past when carefully measured risks and timid prospecting and cushioned conservatism any future for New Zealand: it' must now launch out into the deep. That means new markets, new allies, the maximum harnessing of natural resources, both actual and potential—especially our basic wealth in agriculture—and, to make these aims possible, a massive long-term investment in the higher levels of our educational process. This, in fact, is the logical culmination of the huge development in primary and postprimary education here over the last two decades: a country that really means business can have top-rank universities also in a measurable space of time. The nrice is high, but this is a must. Experience does not show that sparsely populated, underdeveloped countries like Australia and New Zealand can remain permanently a close preserve for a white race that will not develop every energy in exploiting them. Time is already running against us. University staff are an international commodity, valued according to world demand. That demand will be constant, and the competition tough. It is 15 months since Britain launched its technology drive by raising university salaries to new levels (professors up to £3OOO, senior lecturers up to £2150, lecturers ranging from £9OO to £1650). Last year, after an exhaustive official inquiry by a committee headed by Sir Keith Murray, Australia in turn raised academic salaries (alteady ahead of New Zealand’s) to levels that command real respect in the world market (in terms of sterling, professors £2BOO, senior lecturers £l6BO- - lecturers £ll6O-£1680) Along with this went enormous appropriations for research and development—£22 million in all was injected into the university system. This, in spite of a significant decline in Australia’s export income this year. Australian Comparisons

And New Zealand? Salaries have remained unchanged, and research appropriations are still at the old inadequate levels. A senior lecturer in Australia now commences his minimum salary £65 ahead of the maximum New Zealand remuneration, and a lec-

turer begins £135 ahead of his New Zealand counterpart, with a maximum salary £405 ahead. The erosion of good quality hat ’already begun in New Zealand. For example, in chemistry, a lectureship has already been advertised twice over, and is shortly to be advertised a third time in the hope of attracting a properly qualified candidate of the category required. A permanent lecture* ship in history was recently advertised on a world basis: only four applications were received, and only one of these was even adequately equipped. Yet the sharp and unexpected rise of student enrolments this year makes new staff a clamant need: if staff cannot be procured, parents will see their children refused admission to the universities —in increasing numbers. That, on the one hand. And on the other hand existing assets are glready running out: members of staff all up and down the ladder are now looking abroad for posts, and are on the move. One example of the attractions operating will suffice: the University of Melbourne recently advertised in “The Press” no fewer than 34 new academic posts, at salaries which leave ours standing. The New Zealand delegation that attended the recent Sydney symposium on the peaceful use of atomic energy returned alarmed and depressed at the disproportion between the opportunities for scientists in the two countries. The O’Leary-Sheffer bulletin of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research forecasts a grave shortage of engineers and scientists in New Zealand industry. Yet the University Grants Committee, in spite of urgent representations by the university representatives, has resolved to postpone (“The Press,” June 6, 1958) any representations to the Government under this head. The amount involved in achieving parity with Australia is only about £300,000, and it is poor economics to “spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar” in this fashion. It takes from four to six years to give a technologist his basic training, and the fouhdation stone of this process is a highly qualified, highly equipped, and adequately remunerated teaching and research staff. To delay essential action, and to miss the coming Budget, means that this country will be hopelessly outrun, in the world scramble for brains.