03/2000

Academic bulletin 03/2000

Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic
Report from the 130^th and 131^st sessions of the Czech Government's Research and Development Council

News from the Academic Council
The 42^nd and the 43^rd sessions of the Academic Council of the ASCR took place on March 7th and 28^th, 2000.

Portraits from the Archives
Physician Čeněk Strouhal - the 150^th Anniversary of His Birth

Science - Research - Society
Ethics: the Moral and Human Dimension of Science

On occasion of the General Assembly of ALLEA (All European Academies), Academic Bulletin interviewed its former and newly elected presidents.
Counting Citizens, Houses and Apartments in 2001
After ten years, in March 2001, the process of counting citizens, houses and apartments will become more standardised in the Czech Republic as in almost every other country of the world. The results of this research involving all citizens of the country will be an extraordinary source of statistical data and related structured information. This campaign was prepared and organised by the Czech Statistical Office, but many scientists working at academic institutes of the social sciences assisted with its methodology.
Academic Bulletin Queried the Institutes Directors
Academic Bulletin asked some of the directors of the ASCR institutes for their opinions about the future conception of the Academy of Sciences currently under discussion.
Answer to "Open Letter to the Academic Community" Published in the Last Issue
Postgraduate Students Desired
Report from Open Door Day at the Institute of Physiology of the ASCR

Awards

Polemic
More on the Situation in the Use of High Performance Computers

Interview
Transgenic Plants 
Government versions of two new laws concerning the right of citizens to be informed about the origin of consumed food are now in the process of ratification in the Parliament of the Czech Republic - the novel law regulating food and tobacco products and the law of genetically modified transgenic organisms (GMO), which must be ratified as a prerequisite to joining EU.
Czech scientists from the Institute of Plant Molecular Biology in České Budějovice and the Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague have been doing research on transgenic plants for over twenty years. Academic Bulletin interviewed Assistant Professor Miloš Ondřej, expert of the IPMB and the president of the Czech Commission for Transgenic Plants.

Introducing the Institutes
Masaryk Institute of the ASCR
Since the fall 1999, employees of the Masaryk Institute have gone through a very hectic period. They prepared and published several books: Spory o dějiny (Arguments about History) in two volumes, V hluboké úctě a oddanosti Karel Čapek (With Deep Respect and Loyalty Karel Čapek) and two volumes of Masaryk writings - Moderní člověk a náboženství (Modern Man and Religion) and a trilogy Česká otázka (Czech Question) - Naše nynější krize (Our Current Crisis) - Jan Hus. The Institute also participated in organising the international conference "T. G. Masaryk, the Idea of Democracy and Contemporary Europe" held on March the 2^nd - the 4^th, 2000.

Obituary
Ing. Jaroslava Turková from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR died.

Events
Math - For and Against
On March 7^th, 2000, the Council for the Popularisation of Science of the ASCR, in co-operation with the Department of Public Relations of the ASCR, organised a press conference on a contemporary topic of interest, "Math and Compulsory School Leaving Examinations in Secondary Schools".
Inquiry
And what do students think about compulsory math? Academic Bulletin visited the Academic Grammar School on Štěpánská Street in Prague and asked third-grade students: Would you choose the math for the compulsory subject of the school leaving examination?
European Week of the Brain
During the week of March 13^th to 19^th, the European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives in USA co-ordinated meetings of experts for neuroscience from around the world. Their goal was to inform the public about the newest explorations and trends in the research of neuroscience. The second session of the European Week of the Brain was also held in the Czech Republic. Workshops, press conferences and related events were organised by the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the ASCR and Czech Society of Neuroscience.
8^th Cytoskeleton Club
Parallel Supercomputer at the Academy of Sciences
Contactel and CESNET: the Contract of Purchase Signed

News - Announcements

Chronicle
Events at the Academy in Photos

Topical Supplement
"Let the Truth Come to Anyone" - Master Jan Hus in the Centre of Interest Again
ASCR President Professor Rudolf Zahradník and a member of the Academic Council of the ASCR, Doctor Vilém Herold, gave a report on the symposium about Master Jan Hus, which took place in Rome in December 1999.