| Description | ' At the first meeting of the Executive Committee fo the British Committee for Co-operation with UNESCO in the Natural Sciences held at the Royal Socirety at 3.00 pm on Friday, 16 January
Present: Professor E D Adrian, Chairman; Professor J D Bernal; mr Ritchie Calder; Professor H J Fleure; Dr E Hindle; Dr C J R Howarth; Mr H R Mills; Miss N Parkinson; Professor F J M Stratton;
Joint Secretaries: Mrs J J Hawkes; Dr D C Martin
1. Terms of reference
The Committee confirmed the report agreed by correspondence in September 1947 and submitted to the main Committee at its meeting on 30 September 1947 [Paper NS (47) 12 ]
2. Minutes fo the mnain Committee meeting, 30 September 1947
2 (i) Scientific documentation; Arising from minute 11 (iii)d, it was agreed that the British Committee for Co-operatuion with UNESCO in the Natural Sciences should be kept informed of progress in the steps being taken to effect collaboration between UNESCO and the Royal Society Scientific Information Conference.
2 (ii) Scientific Information Services; Arising from minute 11 (v), Resolved - That the Chairman invite the President fo the Royal Society and the President of the British Association to join him in a delegation to place the matter before the Lord President of the Council.
3. Second General Conference of UNESCO, Mexico, 1947
The Chairman reported on the Second General conference fo UNESCO held i Mexico City in December 1947, and the Committee had before it papers NS (48) 1 and NS (48) 3. In connexion with his report (NS (48) 3) the Chairman reported that the figure originally proposed to be allotted to the Hylean Amaxon Project by UNESCO (given therein as $302,509) was actually 275,000 dollars, and that the proposal to establish three fellowships for research on the social relationa of science had been agreed to.
3 (i) Head of Scientific Section
With regard to Dr Needham's impending retirement fromt he Natural Sciences Section the appointment of a successor was discussed. Resolved _ that the Committe offer its assistance to ?Sir John maud if required in this connexion.
3 (ii) 1948 Programme of UNESCO
Reference was made to the 1948 programme fo UNESCO and it was agreed that the Secretaries be asked to prepare a short note on the implications of the 1948 programme which would be of interest to this Committee.
3 (iii) International Institute of the Hylean Amazon
The question of appointing British delegates to attend the first Council meeting of the Institute of the Hylean AMazon in March 1948 was discussed and the names of Mr T W J Taylor, Sir Edward Salisbury, Dr E B Worthington, Commander G M Dyott, Dr K Mellanby and the Pricipal of the College of Tropical AGriculture in British Guiana were mentioned. In the event of the Committee receiving an invitation to nominate delegates it was agreed that the Secretaries should consult the Colonial Office and that the Chairman should act on behalf of the Executive Committee.
4. ICSU Committee on Science and its Social Relations
The Chairman reported action taken on a letter from Professor Burgers, Secretary of the ICSU Committee on Science and its Social Relations, asking for information required to compile a report on the present position of science in the community. The Executive Committee had been consulted be corespondence in DEcember 1947 and had invited the co-operation of the British Assocition in answering the questionnaire.
Reolved - that the Secretaries be asked to reply to Professor Burgers' questionnaire after collecting the required information from the appropriate sources, such as the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the British Association. It was agreed tht Professor Bernal should furnish a .list o British bodies and institutions interested in those subjects together with a bibliography of references.
5. Public Relations of the British Committee.
The aim and means of spreading information about UNESCO and its activities were discussed and suggestions were made for a panel fo speakers, the provision of speakers' notes, general and joint meetings of interested societies, and articles in specialist journals. Further suggestions were made to utilise exhibiton space at the Royal Geographical Society and to appoint a permanent agent for the Hylean Amazon in this country, and in this connexion the names of Sir Geoffrey Evans and Professor Wardlaw were metnioned. It was agreed that an article by Dr Corner on the Hylean Amazon project for submission to 'Nature' woudl be desirable and that Dr Carneiro should be invited to address a meeting in London, preferably in the spring. It was agreed that Mrs Hawkes shoudl make preliminary enquiries as to Dr Carneiro's plans with a view to his being invited by the British Association to address a special meeting.
6. Educational Visits and Exchanges
It was noted that the 1948 UNESCO programme referred to a central bureau for educational visits and exchanges and the possibility of this service being extended to include junior scientists was mentioned. Miss Parkinson promised to investigate and report on the subject.
7. Films in higher education
The use of scientific films for higher education was mentioned as a project of UNESCO in which the British Committee would be interested. Mr Mills undertook to act as liaison officer between the Committee and the International Scientific Film conference. ' |