POST-WAR POST-W1& PREPARATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 3

POST-WAR POST-W1& PREPARATIONS

INTELLECTUAL RAPPROCHEMENT SOUGHT. MAKING. OUR~~UNIYERSITIES ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS FROM FRIENDLY COUNTRIES. INTERCHANGE" PROPOSALS. The Universities Bureau of the British Empire huld a conference a year ago to discuss matters intellectual arising out of conditions peculiar to the war, and particularly the importance of making arrangements lor the migration of members of foreign universities to the universities of the British Empire, which is anticipated to assume considerable dimensions after the war ; and the equally important mat--1 '-r nf facilitntuitr the residence of British teachers and students in foreign and Uieikiiy countries. A memorandum on this question and others arising out of the special circumstances of the times was later submitted by Professor Gilbert Murray, and this has been sent to all the universities of the Empire, with a request for serious and early consideration. This memorandum came before the Utago University Council yesterday afternoon. Professor Murray selects four points as calling for co-operation among universities, and the text of these points is appended : 1. The president (of the Board of Edu-. cation) has had many inquiries, both private and official, from the allied countries about the possibility of developing the intellectual relations' between Great Britain and those .countries by means of the universities. This raises questions concerning interchange of. students, and also of teachers, between British and foreign universities, and of arrangements for making the British universities more accessible and attractive to students from the allied countries, or. indeed, from America and Scandinavia, where the German influence lias hitherto been so strong. Jf these questions are faced, it will hardly be possible to avoid considering similar provisions for interchange between the Home universities themselves and among the universities of the Empire. 2. One branch of this question has already come before some of the universities ; that is the provision of advanced courses of study, with some higher degree at the end, for graduates' of foreign and colonial universities. The prospects of success in this direction will be brighter if some general agreement on the matter can be reached. 3. There is another .matter of even greater (importance. Various national needs and deficiencies have been made apparent through the war, and the universities are very properly willing and anxious to do their share in meeting them. The plans which are being discussed for new enterprises in university teaching and research to meet such needs, scientific, industrial, commercial, and other, will, however, demand large funds, and it is certain that the financial resources of the country, whether central or' local, will have to be managed with the greatest possible economy. It is therefore of the utmost consequence that, in preparing for the future, universities should not act in the dark nor without some mutual consultation. Unless there is some mapping out of the ground to be .covered, and a reasonable division of labor, there may not only be a considerable waste of effort and money, but some important needs may in the end be left unmet. It is not suggested that there ought never to be any overlapping or reduplication of courses; some- of the new subjects will be so important that they ought very likelv to be studied in several places at once. "Still less would anyone suggest that each university should not be perfectly free to pursue any branch of research' or studv which, on dne consideration, it thinks desirable. But it seems clear that common deliberation upon such matters would be of use to each university, when it comes to make its own decision upon new projects, and also that the opinions formed by the universities after such -deliberation would be of great value as a guide-both to the Government and the public. 4. Lastly, there is a small matter, but specially urgent and interesting, on which I have already ventured, at the request of the War Office, to send out a separate appeal to the English universities : that is the recognition by universities and examin-

ing bodies at Home of the work done and the examinations passed by British prisoners of war during their captivity. I merely mention this as one of the special circumstances which the president Sad in his mind, as seeming to call for common action by the universities. But if, as I nope, the general response to my letter is tavorable, there will be no need to ask tor any action; by your bureau. The matter'was referred to tho Finance Committee, to confer with the Professorial -Hoard and report.