Mr Muldoon Challenged

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31363, 8 May 1967, Page 16

Mr Muldoon Challenged

The Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) could not go unchallenged on his remarks to the Christchurch Rotary Club about university education and the national interest, said Dr. B. G. Wybourne, a professor of physics at the University of Canterbury.

“While it is true that a high proportion of New Zealand doctoral candidates go abroad upon the completion of their studies, it is not true to say that they are representing a loss to New Zealand as many do in fact return to contribute the experience they have gained abroad to the country’s benefit,” said Professor Wybourne. “The Minister could scarcely have singled out a less appropriate example than to mention graduates in nuclear physics at a time when New Zealand is endeavouring to recruit staff for the Nuclear Sciences Institute in Wellington and is considering development of nuclear power resouces in New Zealand. “Work in nuclear physics is already benefitting New Zealand in many ways not always directly apparent. For example the recent establishment of the Auckland Nuclear Accessory Company is resulting in substantial sales abroad of nuclear instruments developed by New Zealand graduates in nuclear physics. “The establishment of nuclear reactors in New Zealand is going to require the existence of groups of people of a very high calibre to advise in all aspects of their use.

“If New Zealand fails to train an adequate number of graduates in nuclear physics the full potential of nuclear energy will go unrealised and once again New Zealand will be left behind while developing countries, such as Australia and Japan, invest heavily in nuclear physics and see results for their investments,” said Professor Wybourne. “The mention of bleeps from outer space as being irrelevant to the New Zealand economy only reveals the Min-

ister’s ignorance of the status and role of upper atmospheric research in New Zealand. Studies of high-altitude winds and properties of the upper atmosphere in general are contributing important information in the prediction of weather and in obtaining meteorological data for modern high-altitude jets. “It is significant that research in New Zealand universities is receiving considerable recognition from abroad,” he said. “For example, in the last five years the physics department of the University of Canterbury has received overseas support totalling 120,000 dollars. It would appear that while much of the research done in New Zealand universities merits the support of institutions abroad it apparently escapes the notice of those who should be supporting research in New Zealand.

“It is significant that the expenditure on research in New Zealand is one of the lowest of all the so-called developed countries of the world,” said Professor Wybourne.

“It might be more appropriate for the Minister to consider the need for more research rather than for less. There is little point in considering training soil scientists, geneticists, etc., if there are not people in the New Zealand universities trained to give the basic education necessary for entering these disciplines. “The issue is not simply a matter of producing a particular type of scientist. Scientific work in one discipline affects work in other disciplines. Work on neutron physics can play a significant part in the study of trace elements in soils by the new technique of neutron-activa-tion analysis, but there is little hope of introducing such techniques to New Zealand unless there are people in the countty who have the necessary training in nuclear physics. “Rather than criticise New Zealand graduates for going overseas, the Minister should consider the reasons why they go abroad. These usually centre on the need to obtain

necessary additional experience and the general lack of support received by scientists in New Zealand. “I am sure the Minister will find we are just as unsuccessful in retaining geneticists as nuclear physicists for precisely the same reasons,” said Professor Wybourne.