Dear Dr. Jaeger,
I strongly support your intentions to appeal to the Ministry. Please let
your administrative leaders know that their actions are "a shot heard
round the world". Beyond the repugnant disregard for the careers of
eminent scientists that have helped build the international reputation
of Canadian science, the younger generation of Canadian scientists
watching this happen are now "in play" in a way that was previously not
possible. In short, this is a dreadfully short-sighted move that will
negatively impact Canada's efforts to win the brain-drain war. Perhaps
that is an issue that your political leaders can understand and respect.
yours,
Alec Wodtke
Wolfgang Jaeger wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> this is to let you know that the Canadian community is currently
> preparing a letter to the Minister in charge of NRC in response to the
> outrageous developments. One aspect of this letter will certainly be
> the reaction of the international scientific community, and further
> comments and suggestions on this mailing list can only help us. I will
> discuss with my Canadian colleagues how to best utilize your support.
> We may ask you in the next few days for more concrete input, perhaps
> an e-mail signature for the letter to the Minister.
>
> Wolfgang Jaeger
>
>
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>> Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 20:02:11 +0100
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>> <[log in to unmask]>
>> From: J M Hutson <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: The end of high-resolution spectroscopy at NRC?
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>> I visited Gerard Meijer's group in Berlin this week, and ran into
>> Phil Bunker from NRC (Ottawa). Phil showed me a most amazing letter
>> from his employers at NRC, dated 6 September. The letter is headed
>> "Notice of Surplus Status". It begins:
>>
>> "As part of the implementation of the NRC Strategy `Science at Work
>> in Canada', we will be realigning some of our programs, activities and
>> resources. ... I regret to inform you that as a result of this
>> exercise your position has been identified as surplus to requirements
>> ..."
>>
>> And then later on:
>>
>> "Your layoff date will be 1 November 2007 at the close of business."
>>
>> Phil tells me that Bob McKellar received a similar letter.
>>
>> I am sending this because I think the spectroscopy and dynamics
>> community needs to know what is going on. Both Phil and Bob are among
>> the most eminent and productive spectroscopists in the world. Many
>> leading researchers in Canada and worldwide started their research
>> careers in their groups. Their work has made and is making big
>> contributions to our understanding of the spectroscopy and dynamics
>> of clusters and other species.
>>
>> It is sad to see this happen to a once-great institution like NRC.
>>
>> Jeremy Hutson
>>
>> --
>> Prof. J. M. Hutson
>> Dept. of Chemistry
>> University of Durham
>> Durham Tel. (0191) 334 2147 (UK)
>> DH1 3LE Tel. +44 191 334 2147 (International)
>> England FAX: +44 191 384 4737
>>
>> World-Wide Web home page: http://www.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/
>
>
> *****************************************************************************************************
>
> Wolfgang Jaeger Tel.: 780-492-5020
> Department of Chemistry FAX: 780-492-8131
> University of Alberta e-mail:
> [log in to unmask]
> Edmonton, AB Web:
> www.chem.ualberta.ca/~jaeger
> Canada T6G 2G2
> *****************************************************************************************************
>
> To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
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--
Prof. Alec M. Wodtke -
Chair -- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - www.chem.ucsb.edu
Director -- Partnership for International Research and Education for Electron Chemistry and Catalysis at Interfaces - pire-ecci.ucsb.edu
Mail Code 9510
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510
USA
+001 (805) 893 2056 (voice - Chair's Office)
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