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Buenos Aires, 30th April 1999
Dear Academy Members:
In compliance with Article 23 of the Academy Statutes, I am pleased to
submit for your consideration the Annual Report, General Balance, Expenses and
Resources Account, Inventory and Accounts Surrender of the Financial Period
corresponding to 1998, the first year of administration of the Executive Board,
elected to office on 24th April, 1998, and which I have the privilege to
preside.
During the last year, we had to regret the decease of Regular Academy Member
Agr. Eng. Alberto Soriano (21st October), of Honorary Academy Members Dr. Sir
Derek H.R. Barton (16th March) and Dr. Alberto P. Calder6n (16th April) and of
Corresponding Academy Members Dr. Abraham Willink (San Miguel de 7ucumhn; 8th
February), Eng. Orlando E. Villamayor (Paris, France; 22nd February) and Dr.
Wolfgang Meckbach (San Carlos de Bariloche; 31st August).
Over the term of the year, Dr. Roberto L.O. Cignoli and Eng. Eduardo Nunez
were elected as Regular Academy Members, though their official incorporation is
pending, while Dr. Luis A. Santal6 was appointed as Honorary Academy Member.
From April to December nine ordinary sessions were carried out, as well as
public sessions to incorporate Dr. John W. Daly and Dr. Walter F. Davidson as
Corresponding Academy Members in Bethesda, Maryland, United States, and in
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, respectively.
Within the framework of the agreement between this Academy and the British
Council, a lecture was delivered by our welcome guest Prof. David I. Blockley
(Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Great Britain).
It is also our duty to highlight the meeting held to unveil Galileo
Galilei's bust, sculpted in 1964 by Horacio Juarez (1901-1977) and which was
donated by Mrs. Maria Michailovsky and placed in the hall of the entrance to
the Academy.
On 13th November, at the headquarters of the National Academy of Medicine,
there was a ceremony to deliver the "National Academy of Exact, Physical
and Natural Sciences", "Ernesto E. Galloni" and "Bernardo
A. Houssay" awards. As regards the "Ernesto E. Galloni" prize,
special thanks should be extended to the family of the former Academy president
for their kind donation of US$ 10,000 dedicated to reward young investigators
up to 35 years of age, in the areas proposed in rotation by the three Sections,
with an annual sum of US$ 1,000. The award corresponding to 1998 was granted in
Solid Physical Chemistry to Dr. Gustavo D. Barrera. For their part, the five
institutions (Argentine Academy of Letters, National Academy of Moral and
Political Sciences, Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine, University
of Buenos Aires and this Academy) participating in the preparation of the CDROM
on "Dr. Bernardo A. Houssay First Argentine Nobel Prize Scientist",
awarded a once only "Bernardo A. Houssay" prize in Physiology of
US$5,000 the balance of the above mentioned joint project, a diploma and a
medal to Dr. Daniel P. Cardinali. Other distinctions corresponding to the
diverse areas were granted to the following scientists: "Enzo R.
Gentile" in Mathematics, to Dr. Eleonor O. Harboure; "Juan
José Giambiagi" in Theoretical Physics, to Dr. Jorge A. Zgrablich;
"Carlos Varsavsky" in Astronomy, to Dr. Virpi S. Niemela;
"José Luis Delpini" in Structural Engineering, to Eng. Raul D.
Bertero; "Venancio Deulofeu" in Carbohydrate Chemistry and
Biochemistry, to Dr. Armando J. Parodi; and "Raul A. Ringuelet" in
Zoology, to Dr. Demetrio Boltovskoy.
As regards the agreement with the British Council, during 1998 we welcomed
the visits of Prof. David I. Blockley (University of Bristol), Dr. Brian G. Cox
(Zeneca Process Technology Department) and Prof. Michael Crisfield (Imperial
College of Science, Technology and Medicine), and quite soon we will host Dr.
Terence H. Lilley (University of Sheffield). Meanwhile, we are awaiting
confirmation of the extension of the agreement for the period elapsing from 1st
April 1999 to 31st March 2000.
Within the area of international relationships, Prof. Peter H.W. Butterworth
and Dr. Angela Danil de Namor, both horn the University of Surrey (Great
Britain) were our welcome guests, to request the collaboration of the Academy
in the selection of Argentine youths who desire to carry out their postgraduate
studies at that center of higher studies and to offer help for holding a
meeting on scientific policies in our country. Dr. Norton Jackson and Joy
Dudine, from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering,
also visited us with the purpose of initiating conversations tending to drawing
up a declaration of academic technological understanding between both
Academies, which is still under way to achieve the primary purpose. On the
other hand, the Polish Academy of Sciences remitted the signed Letter of
Intention that certifies the agreement with our Academy. Regarding the
International Foundation for Science, with headquarters in Sweden, it is
regrettable to state that neither the Academy nor the National Research Council
(CONICET) the only two representatives of the Swedish entity in our country
could offer the requested financial support for 1998 (US$36,000); we beg to
recall that such institution generously provides grants to young Argentine
investigators.
Concerning the Year 2000 Conference being organized by the Inter-Academy
Panel on International Issues (IAP), the Work Commission presided by Academy
Member Huner Fanchiotti and comprising representatives horn seven National
Academies proposed the lecturers and topics to be developed at that meeting. In
addition, organized by the IAP, the seminar on "The Role of National
Academies as Advisers to National Governments" took place in Tobago. As a
member of that organism and by its express request, the Academy sent a document
on the subject.
The request for reinforcement of the annual subsidy assigned to the Academy
and to the Darwinian Institute of Botany (IBODA), made at the end of 1997 to
the National Ministry of Culture and Education, was satisfied in a third part,
thus receiving an increase of roughly US$ 70,000. Part of this sum was
transferred to the IBODA, while the remainder will be devoted to granting
scholarships. In this respect, the Academy decided to implement a program of
three annual scholarships for the completion of doctoral theses in exact,
physical and natural sciences and in engineering, whose regulations were drawn
up and approved. Besides, the institution of the "In libris carpe
rosam" fellowships in Mathematics and Biological Sciences, as well as
their regulation, was agreed upon. These were initiated thanks to the offer of
a financial fund donated by the Barroso Mastronardi family, whose accrued
interest will be used to finance scholarships for students at the University of
Buenos Aires, in the mentioned areas.
Separately, replies were provided for consultations made by the National
Secretariat of Culture, the Secretariat of Science and Technology and the
National Academy of Agronomy and Veterinary, besides granting sponsorships to
congresses, seminars, meetings and national and international symposia.
Meetings were held with the presidents of all the National Academies and
with those occupying the "National Academies Headquarters" building,
as well as maintaining cordial relations with national authorities.
For the thirteenth consecutive year, the Academy participated in the Buenos
Aires International Book Fair -The Book from the Author to the Reader-, setting
up a stand where chemistry and physics experiments, as well as mathematical
challenges were carried out daily by specialists of the Argentine Mathematical
Olympics, the Argentine Olympics of Chemistry and the Departments of Physics
and Mathematics, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos
Aires. Attracting a large attendance to our stand, these activities were
coordinated by Academy Member Norberto A. Fava, whom we thank very especially
for his dedication.
As regards divulgement, the Academy implemented the preparation and
diffusion of its history, publications, prizes, activities and reference bank
through the opening of an Internet site, which may be visited at the address
www.ancefn.org.ar. Besides, two electronic mail accounts were opened: one for
the Secretariat (acad@ancefn.org.ar) and another for the Library
(biblio@ancefn.org.ar).
In the publication area, during 1998 volume 49 of "Annals", issues
14 and 15 of "Monographs" and issue 8 of the "News"
bulletin were published. For the fourth year in succession, the presentation of
the Academy's Report, entitled "Annual Report 1997" was translated
into English, to be mailed abroad to Honorary and Corresponding Academy Members
abroad in countries where Spanish is not generally spoken. Meanwhile, the
internal communication "Information for Academy Members" continued to
be published.
In order to seek a new status for Regular Academy Members unable to attend
monthly sessions due to reasons of health, in the middle of the year a Special
Commission was set up specifically devoted to draw up modifications to the
current Statutes and Regulation of the Academy to include that new category and
to generate and to receive proposals for other changes. After several meetings,
the Special Commission including Academy Members Pedro J. Aymonino, Arnoldo
J.L. Bolognesi, Roque Scarfiello, Andrews O.M. Stoppani and the undersigned,
submitted such changes for academic consideration at the plenary meeting, both
in the Statutes and in their regulation, which will be studied in the near
future.
As far as the IBODA was concerned, we deeply regretted the resignation, for
reasons of health, of the Regular Academy Member Dr. Juan H. Hunziker from its
directorship, which was approved on 29th May at the plenary meeting. Until such
time as a new director is appointed, Sub director Dr. Fernando O. Zuloaga will
occupy his place. In such a sense, I wish to take advantage of this opportunity
to thank Dr. Hunziker for the excellent work carried out during almost 15 years
of his administration, thanks to which the IBODA reached a high scientific and
academic level recognized both nationally and internationally. Meanwhile,
Vice-president Arturo J. Bignoli began conversations with the Secretariat of
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development to request economic support
allowing the normal operation of the IBODA, as well as enlarging its
headquarters and maintaining its herbarium and library.
Through this presentation, I offer my warmest congratulations to the Academy
Members who received prizes and distinctions along 1998.
In this brief yearly overview, the President desires to express his personal
recognition to the Academy Members who share the Executive Board and whose
original ideas, collaboration and presence were lent with the greatest
willingness and generosity, and the same applies to the presidents of Academy
Sections, Commissions, Special Commissions and Programs, and to the entirety of
colleagues.
The staff members of the Academy fulfilled their duties effectively and
reliably. Dr. Juan Carlos Valleys, Mr. Mariano G. Fernandez Alt, Mrs. Diana L.
Pallini, Misses Patricia N. López and Beatriz L. Manso and Mr. Rain
Berón, carried out their allotted tasks devotedly and enthusiastically,
as well as contributing significantly to a better operation of our institution.
I hereby congratulate and thank them for their unfailing support.
Dr. Eduardo G. Gros
President
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