Academic Freedom in Italian Universities

We hope that with this article the Bulletin will begin bringing its readers regular contributions from European scientists. Professor Boeri—a physiologist at the University of Ferrara in Italy—discusses the financial barriers against which European scientists struggle. The money America spends on support of science is by no means excessive; and this support must increase if we are to stay in the van of scientific and technical progress in the world. However, a small fraction of these funds, directed toward the furthering of science in other countries, could be enough to bear fruit out of all proportion with what the same amount of money can do in America. Native intelligence, scholarship, and tradition of learning wait, in some countries of Europe, only on economic encouragement. The Marshall Plan has helped Europe to achieve economic rehabilitation, and this result has been of immeasurable advantage also to American economy, and to the political stability of the Western world. Scientific achievement and ...