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Category Archives: Op-eds
“To promote a deeper understanding of our world”, Canada may need a Jim Simons
The news may come as a shock to the Dean of U. Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Roger Martin, and all those who have been preaching to the Canadian government that “what makes a country prosperous is not investment in science and technology,” … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged BIRS, David Eisenbud, Lazaridis, Roger Martin, rotman school of management, Simons Foundation, Theory of Computing
2 Comments
Elsevier: The beginning of the end?
I’ll admit, I got some satisfaction out of telling the editor of the “Journal of Functional Analysis” last week that I will not referee the paper he had sent me because I am boycotting everything Elsevier. I was less thrilled … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged Elsevier, Harvard, Technical University of Munich, Tim Gowers, Wellcome Trust
1 Comment
Anyone for a Canadian “Golden Goose Award”?
Are you old enough to remember the heyday of the late Senator William Proxmire “Golden Fleece awards” given to so called “wasteful” science in the US system? Well, luckily my science policy soulmate, Paul Dufour, claims that he is, and he … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged AAAS, Golden Fleece awards, Golden Goose Award, Lie Theory, NSERC Discovery, senator william proxmire
3 Comments
Computer Science in the world of Gatorade and Disney
“Math and computer science are hard. Why bother?” read the caption, which appeared in the latest Forbes Magazine. The article entitled, “University of Florida Eliminates Computer Science Department, Increases Athletic Budgets. Hmm,” describes Dean Abernathy’s restructuring plan for the College of Engineering. “Any faculty … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged Budget cuts, Computer science, education, politics, research, University of Florida, University of Rochester
1 Comment
2012 federal budget: “We in Canada have yet to learn, so it seems”
My friend had called from Ottawa right after the budget lock-up to “re-assure me” that the three research councils did OK. The AUCC president, Paul Davidson, had also issued a press release offering praise for “investments (that) will preserve current levels of … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged 2012 federal budget, Basic research, discovery grants, Innovation, NSERC, Research Partnerships
11 Comments
Back to my almost asbestos-free alma mater
I had walked this route so many times over the years, first as a graduate student, then as a frequent visiting researcher. The little bookstore is still there, but I had to resist the urge to buy “Libération”, a daily … Continue reading
With the women of the “Laplacian”, who needs diversity tsars?
“Wherever my travels may lead, paradise is where I am.” ~Voltaire In case you have been wondering why I haven’t been blogging lately, I am presently in Rome having too much fun working, lecturing, and enjoying life with my friends … Continue reading
Are Canada’s best researchers failing the country’s innovation agenda?
Or is it that the system and current programs are failing to capture their talent and their expertise? Needless to say, both questions assume that “Innovation” is not really having a good ride in Canada, at least compared to other … Continue reading
With Google’s new privacy policy, who needs Bill C-30?
You cannot say that you haven’t been warned. “We’re changing our privacy policy and terms. This stuff matters.” This is a message that you have been seeing lately on the Google search engine. You have been given a full month notice … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged electronic frontier foundation, google docs, google search engine, google searches, web history
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Elsevier’s first concessions to its “enablers”
In October 2001, more than 30,000 scientists signed an open letter in which they pledged to exclusively publish in, review for and serve as editors of journals that placed their contents in the –then newly launched– PubMed Central with no more … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged Elsevier, gowers, mathematics community, mea culpa, public relations nightmare
6 Comments
A politician, a senior bureaucrat, and a blog
Bonjour Dr. Ghoussoub. I very much enjoy your blog… as a science policy junkie I find it a useful antidote to the meanderings of the so-called science and innovation policies in Ottawa and elsewhere … perhaps you already saw this … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged AAAS, Helene LeBlanc, new democratic party, R&D, Science and Technology, Science policy
3 Comments
Was NSERC there?
“Was NSERC listening?” That was a reaction from the Twitter world to yesterday’s plenary address by Mike Lazaridis to the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Indeed, Lazaridis rocked the casbah yesterday with his speech on the “Power of … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged AAAS, Basic research, commons standing committee, Jenkins report, mike lazaridis, NSERC, Perimeter Institute
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When University Presidents send out “few public bouquets” to Government
“Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are only sitting on our own bottom”– Michel de Montaigne. “Sometimes Canada Gets it Right” is a recent joint op-ed by U. of Toronto President, David Naylor and UBC President, Stephen Toope. … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Governors, Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged Banting, CERC, KIP, Lazaridis, Naylor, Perimeter Institute, Toope, Tri-council, Vanier
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Leshner and Toope didn’t get all of it right!
On the occasion of an upcoming meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Stephen Toope, the President of UBC and Alan Leshner, CEO of the AAAS, co-wrote an op-ed for the Vancouver Sun entitled, “Innovation, international collaboration … Continue reading
Reed Elsevier stock price is dropping but …
“Noise around the boycott against Elsevier offers short term trading opportunity”. That’s from the investment firm Exane Paribas, which “fully expects the price to rebound once this boycott fails like all the previous ones”. Indeed, even though more than 4900 … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged access publishing, elsevier publications, mathematical community, Scott Aaronson, timothy gowers
7 Comments
They also owned the podium for Canada
… away from your cameras and without your millions. “We were very grateful to have our summer training for the Canadian International Math Olympiad (IMO) team at the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) again this year. As in previous years, the … Continue reading
“The council should be restructured with an unfaltering focus on scientific excellence, or be replaced”
… And the government should then appoint Mike Lazaridis to lead it, I may add. But first he has to be appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire! You guessed it. This is not the kind of talk that … Continue reading
A close encounter of the classy kind with Preston Manning
The place: The Doug Mitchell Hockey arena at UBC. The occasion: The University of Alberta Bears vs. the UBC Thunderbirds. Why? It’s great hockey and for a fraction of the price of Canucks tickets. The instigators: Ed and Karen Perkins, my friends … Continue reading
Posted in Honouring friends, Op-eds
Tagged arthur carty, Doug Mitchell, Hockey, NRC, NSERC, Preston Manning, Stephen Harper, UBC
1 Comment
It may be crunch time for the Presidents of Canada’s Research Councils
The government will continue to make “key investments in science and technology” that are necessary to sustain a “modern competitive economy,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Davos today. He then added, “but we believe that Canada’s less-than-optimal results for those investments is … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged cihr, corporate canada, prime minister stephen harper, research pipeline, sshrc, suzanne fortier
4 Comments
Timothy Gowers: A leader for our times
Timothy Gowers is much more than an outstanding mathematician. A Fields medalist, Tim is a global thinker, an eloquent and prolific writer, a pioneer among scholars, and a leader. “Un grand homme”, the French would say. Tim is an innovator in scholarship and also … Continue reading
Posted in Honouring friends, Op-eds
Tagged banach space theory, scientific publishers, stefan banach, timothy gowers
3 Comments
Piece of Mind 