A Soviet claim that an international scientific seminar is a “provocative action of certain circles” was rejected today by a spokesman for the International Secretaries of the International Seminar which is sponsoring the event. Prof. Edward Stern of the University of Michigan affirmed that the seminar is “a purely scientific gathering, being conducted in accordance with usual international scientific standards, and is in no way a ‘provocative action,’ “and that this characterization represents “a distortion of the character and purposes of the seminar.”
The unprecedented seminar, sponsored by an advisory board of eminent scientists, including eight Nobel Laureates and the Tel Aviv University, was scheduled for July 1-5 in the Moscow home of the prominent Jewish scientist Alexander Voronel. The State Committee for Science and Technology, the scientific arm of the Soviet Council of Ministers, has disowned the seminar and Soviet authorities have indicated that the seminar will be opposed.
Dr. Stern, in pointing to the world famous scientists who constitute the International Board of Sponsors and Advisors, stated that this is “evidence of the international scientific community’s support for the right of all scientists not only to freely pursue their inquiries, but also to freely communicate in the open forum of scientific exchange.” Dr. Stern added: “Our Soviet Jewish colleagues who are ostracized by official Soviet science and denied access to normal scientific channels because they seek to emigrate to Israel, need the opportunity to exchange scientific information with their colleagues outside the Soviet Union.”
Dr. Stern reported that more than 100 scientific papers, including 75 from the West, have been submitted for presentation at the seminar. “The authors are all highly qualified scientists; many who will be attending the seminar have visited the USSR previously in connection with their scientific activities.” he said.
AIMS OF SEMINAR OUTLINED
Prof. Silvan Schweber, professor of physics at Brandeis University whose scientific works have been published in the Soviet Union, speaking for the International Board of Sponsors and Advisors, stated that an important aim of the seminar is to prove that international multi disciplinary scientific cooperation can shed important light on the complex scientific problems facing mankind. A second aim, he stated, is to help “protect the right of all scientists to pursue science; their right to fully and freely participate in appropriate scientific meetings, to fully and freely discuss the results of their research…and their right to travel freely within and outside their country for scholarly purpose.”
Dr. Stern emphasized that the seminar is “an in official gathering, and therefore, does not need to be arranged through official Soviet scientific committees.” The other international secretaries are Prof. Norman A. Chigier, University of Sheffield, England; and Prof. Raymond Orbacb? Tel Aviv University.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
