Universities and the New National Effort
Derek C. Bok 1
1 President of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
In reassessing the role of government, many Americans have agreed that public expenditures should be curtailed. Although our universities must bear their full share of the sacrifices, some of the Administration's recent proposals would be to the detriment of the country. Drastic cuts in student aid, for example, will not encourage young people to seek the best possible education and training; reductions in federal funds for scientific instruments and facilities will mean that our laboratories will deteriorate, our accomplishments will be fewer. The success of American science has depended heavily on the talent that came from Europe at the time of World War II. Today that source has largely disappeared, and if we cannot replace it with exceptional young investigators of our own, the quality of our universities and the vitality of our science will diminish.
