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Buenos Aires, 26th April 1996
Dear Academy Members:
In compliance with Article 23rd of the bylaws of the Academy, I submit for
your consideration the Annual Report, General Balance, Expenses and Resources
Account, Inventory and Accounts Surrender of the Financial Period corresponding
to the year 1995; the second of the management of the Executive Board of the
Academy, elected on April 29th, 1994, which I have the honor of presiding.
During that period we had to regret the passing away of the Head Academy
Member Dr. Pedro J. Carriquiriborde, and of the Corresponding Members Dr. Leo
M. Falicov (Berkeley, California, United States), Agron. Eng. Guillermo Covas
(Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina) and Dr. José A.M. Battig (San Miguel
de Tucumán, Argentina).
During the year Eng. Felix J. Lilli and Dr. Eng. Raul A. Lopardo were chosen
as Head Academy Members; Dr. Juan Jose Giambiagi (deceased January 8th, 1996)
as Honorary Member; and doctors Horacio A. Farach (Columbia, South Carolina,
United States), Jose Leite Lopes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Ezio Marchi (San
Luis, Argentina), as Corresponding Members.
From April to December nine ordinary meetings were held, some followed by a
public session during which an Academy Member or a special guest lectured on a
topic of his or her specialty. For that reason, I take great pleasure in
congratulating and thanking the invaluable collaboration offered by Academy
Member Horacio C. Reggini and Licentiate Juan Carlos Del Bello (University
Policies Secretary of the National Ministry of Culture and Education).
Special mention should be made of the public meeting incorporating Eng.
Felix J. Lilli as Head Academy Member; of Dr. Juan Jose Giambiagi as Honorary
Member; and of doctors Sergio Trasatti (Milan, Italy) and Horacio A. Farach
(Columbia, South Carolina, United States) as Corresponding Members.
Besides, the Seminar on Scientific Policy was carried out jointly with the
National Science Academies of Buenos Aires and of Sciences of Cordoba, that
enjoyed the special participation of Dr. William Gelletly (Head of the Physics
Department, University of Surrey, United Kingdom), whose visit to the country
was sponsored by The British Council. On this occasion, the British scientist
discoursed on “Science Policy and Organization in the United
Kingdom”, followed by “Comments on Dr. W. Gelletly’s Talk”
in charge of Academy Member Daniel R. Bes and by a round table comprising
outstanding specialists. The audience, estimated to reach some 30 individuals,
was made up by leading representatives of the scientific community. In order to
renew the agreement that made possible the above visit and that of two other
British scientists during 1994, I held meetings with Mike Potter, the director
of The British Council.
On November 10th, at the headquarters of the National Academy of Medicine,
there took place the ceremony of delivery of the “National Academy of
Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences” and “Ernesto E. Galloni”
Awards. The meeting enjoyed a great public attendance, including University
Policies Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Education, Licentiate Juan C.
Del Bello, as well as head and corresponding Academy Members. As regards the
“Ernesto E. Galloni” award, I wish to voice my gratitude towards the
family of the former president of the Academy, for the gift of US$ 10,000 to
reward young research workers, in the areas proposed in rotation by the three
Sections, with an annual sum of US$ 1,000. The distinction corresponding to
1995 was granted in Experimental Physical Chemistry to Dr. Alejandro J. Vila.
With respect to the awards of the Academy, distinguished scientists were as
follows: “Ewald A. Favret” Award in Plant Genetics to Dr. Lidia
Poggio; “Guillermo Bodenbender” Award in Regional Geology to Dr.
Alfredo J. Cuerda; “Alfredo Sordelli” Award in Immunology to Dr.
Ricardo A. Margni; “Alberta Gonzalez Dominguez” Award in Mathematics
to Dr. Felipe J. Z6; “Enrique Gaviola” Award in Experimental Physics
to Dr. Andres J. Kreiner; and “Juan Manuel Barcala” Award in
Electronic Engineering to Dr. Eng. Bruno Cemuschi Frias. It should be
emphasized that this was the fourth time the new Awards Regulation of the
Academy approved in 1991 was put into practice. According to proposals by the
Scholarships, Awards and Grants Commission, the plenary meeting decided, as of
1995, to maintain up to a maximum of three (3) the number of awards granted by
each Section, to reward a single person for each specialty, to include a
remuneration of US$ 1,000 for each award as far as this is allowed by the
budget of the Academy, and not to designate by the same name any of the Academy
awards as long as the “Ernesto E. Galloni” Award is standing.
Concerning international relationships, between September 13th and 18th, as
a guest of the Argentine organizing committee of the V Argentine-British
Conference, I participated in the Argentine delegation that traveled to Oxford,
England. There, my activity was centered in proposing and discussing with the
Britons and Falk Landers who attended, the possible implementation of
scientific collaboration programs between Argentina and Great Britain in areas
linked to the sciences of the Earth in Patagonia and Malvinas. To coordinate
the future activities that such program will demand, the Academy designated
Member Rosendo Pascual. At local level, conversations continued with the
National Academies of Sciences of Cordoba and of Sciences of Buenos Aires to
hold a joint meeting on the situation of science and technology in Argentina.
For this purpose, together with Academy Member Alejandro J. Arvia, we traveled
to C6rdoba at the beginning of March 1995, where we held meetings with
representatives of both Academies. Contacts were also started with some
national academies to study the possibility of organizing a meeting on patents
and intellectual property.
Besides, on May 26th approval was granted to set up the Special Commission
of Scientific Policy made up by Academy Member Alejandro J. Arvia as president,
and assisted by Fellow Members Daniel R. Bes, Rosendo Pascual, Alberto
Pignotti, Carlos Segovia Fernandez and Andres O.M. Stoppani. Two statements
were drawn up, entitled “Considerations and guidelines for a framework law
for science and technology” and “Comments on decree 627/95, as
amending decree law 1291/58 setting up the National Research Council
(CONICET)”. Once approved by the plenary academic meeting (August 25th and
December 4th, respectively), both statements were raised to hundreds of public
organizations and educational entities, both academic and scientific, many of
which adhered publicly to the concepts they expressed. In this connection it
should be emphasized that both documents deserved articles and editorial
comments on the part of leading communication media.
In the publications field, during 1995 three “Monografias
[Monographs]” were published and “Noticias [News]” bulletin as
the successor of the “Boletin [Bulletin]” that the Academy issued in
previous years was launched. With “Noticias” it is intended to reach
the Argentine scientific community to keep it abreast on the activities of the
Academy (incorporation of members, conferences, novelties in the library,
statements, and so on) and of our Academy Members, and to divulge relevant
international news linked to some lines of work currently being developed in
Argentina. It should be pointed out that the first two published issues (August
and December 1995) received very favorable comments.
By means of this presentation, I offer my warmest congratulations to all
those Members who received awards and distinctions throughout 1995. In the
particular cases of Roberto D. Cotta and Egberto F. Tagle, the Academy granted
them each a gold medal in homage to their respective silver weddings as Head
Academy Members.
Cordial relations were maintained with the other National Academies through
the so-called Meetings of National Academy Presidents, and the same applies to
national authorities. In this regard, on July 19th, 1995, the President of the
Nation, Dr. Carlos S. Menem, received the presidents of the National Academies,
accompanied by Culture Secretary, Dr. Mario O’Donnell. Among other topics,
the budget for the national academies and the definitive possession of the
current building known as “National Academies Headquarters” were
discussed. In the particular case of our headquarters, the possibility of
improving some facilities is under study, in order to make better use of
available space. A project and budget from an architecture study have been
received, so that a special subsidy was requested to implement such work.
The Darwinian Botany Institute, under the competent leadership of Head
Academy Member Dr. Juan H. Hunziker, continued to accomplish excellent research
and divulgement work, as dealt with more fully in the corresponding part of the
present Report.
In this brief annual summary, the President wishes to express his personal
appreciation to the Academy Members who share the Executive Board and who
successfully lent their unstinting collaboration and assistance; the same
applies to presidents of Sections, Commissions, Special Commissions and
Programs of the Academy; and to the entirety of colleagues.
The Academy staff fulfilled their mission with efficiency and reliability.
Dr. Juan Carlos Valles, Mr. Mariano G. Fernandez Alt, Mrs. Diana L. Pallini,
Misses Patricia N. Lopez and Beatriz L. Manso and Mr. Ramon Beron, performed
their assigned tasks with enthusiasm and willingness. I wish to congratulate
and to thank each and every one of them for their invaluable collaboration.
Dr. Mario A. J. Mariscotti
President
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