Nature Vol. 300 4 November 1982 News 5 Madrid conference the courts found treasonable. NOI is the arrest, in Poland, ofthe mathematician Dr Zbigniew Romaszewski, who in 1980 Failing hopes for agreement compiled and sent to Madrid a report on The review Conference on Security and urging that the pipeline is a success for human rights abuses in Poland. Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which Basket II. Under these conditions, it is uncertain reconvenes in Madrid next week, seems The disappearance of the Helsinki whether any useful discussions can be fated to be as inconclusive as the previous Monitoring Movement in the Soviet Union expected from the forthcoming session. If gathering in Belgrade (October (the last group, reduced by imprisonments the United States once again refuses to 1977-March 1978). to two members, dissolved itself last discuss Document RM-39, there would be The implementation of the Helsinki summer) is unlikely to improve the little point in continuing the session. Accords has, if anything been hampered by situation in Madrid. Nor is the recent Sooner or later, if no final statement is increasing international tension, and, in renewed attack in the Soviet media on agreed, the Madrid Conference will go the particular, the imposition of martial law in Anatolii Shcharanskii, a former member way of its predecessor in Belgrade; it will Poland. So far there has been no agreement of the movement, now serving a 13-year have to agree to disagree, and set a place on the further development of the CSCE sentence for human rights activities which and date for a new Conference. Vera Rich process. A possible draft statement (Document RM-39) drawn up in December UK university mergers 1981 by the non-aligned and neutral signatories of the Helsinki Final Act remains in abeyance, because the No links for UMIST and Salford delegations from the United States and its A combination of institutional loyalty Salford. Western allies have so far refused to discuss and academic snobbery seems to have The preferred option of the UMIST it while the situation in Poland shows no frustrated one of the most promising of court to strengthen links with the marked improvement. amalgamations between British University of Manchester, is intended to The linking of negotiations on security universities - a much canvassed proposal build on the institute's constitution as the and economic and scientific cooperation that the University of Salford and the Faculty of Technology of the university. with those on human rights is one of the University of Manchester Institute of The university awards degrees to graduates most sensitive issues in the Helsinki Science and Technology (UMIST) should of the institute, but otherwise relations process. During the drafting of the join forces. Two weeks ago, the UMIST between the two over the past thirty years Helsinki Final Act, the various proposals governing body (its council) decided that, have been close or distant according to the for cooperation were divided into three among several possible options, it would personalities of those in charge. UMIST large filing baskets - security and arms prefer to forge stronger links with its parent now cites as an example of the control (Basket I), economic, scientific and university, the University of Manchester. collaboration foreseen with its parent technological cooperation (Basket II) and Both partners in this abortive marriage institution the occupation of the same human rights (Basket III). The contention have just lived through a hard year. Salford building by two departments of of the United States and some of its has been adjusting to the prospect of a metallurgy, its own and that of the Western allies is that the signatory states sharply reduced subvention from the university, saying that it has asked for must implement all three baskets. The University Grants Committee (UGC), further discussion of such cooperation. Soviet Union and socialist bloc, however, discovering that the extension of the prefer to treat the three baskets separately. transitional period has not allowed it to After the Belgrade review conference, it avoid painful retrenchment. UMIST, three was decided to hive off scientific and miles away, has spent the past year technological cooperation - then wrestling with the problem of whether its considered the least contentious subjects principal, Professor R.N. Haszeldine, - into a special "scientific forum" in should remain in the post to which he was Hamburg, held a few months before the appointed in 1975. The cost of main conference opened in Madrid. modernizing the principal's residence was a The contents of Document RM-39 are contentious issue. Professor Haszeldine, for the most part acceptable in principle to distinguished for his research on fluorine all sides, although some of the ''confidence chemistry, has retired early with effect building measures'' associated with Basket from the end of this year. I would doubtless need further detailed Almost immediately that issue had been negotiation. (Thus the French proposal for resolved, UMIST found the local an extension of the zone in which the Soviet newspapers full of a proposal by Mr Fred The University of Salford- to remain alone Union should notify major troop Sylvester, one of Manchester's Members of By common consent, Salford has movements back to the Urals has been Parliament, that Salford and UMIST survived the hardships of the past two years countered by a Soviet demand that the should agree to merge. The logic of such an with flair, largely because of the success as NATO powers should notify major naval arrangement seems irrefutable; both vice-chancellor of Dr J. M. Ashworth, the movements in the Atlantic.) institutions concentrate on science and most centrally placed (but not the most The Helsinki process, however, as the technology (but have important outside senior) of the British government's United States in quick to point out, is not a interests, in politics and modern languages scientific advisers until the end of 1980. matter of legal wrangling but the creation respectively, for example) while they are One Salford academic said this week that of an atmosphere of detente. In the absence physically separated by only three miles. Ashworth has given Salford such a sense of such an atmosphere, they stated last The University of Salford now says it is that it has a future that hope is now pinned March, it is impossible to discuss RM-39 or disappointed that the prospect of a merger on the belief that UGC will next year relent. any other draft agreement. Since then the between the two institutions has Both institutions are on course in their international climate has deteriorated even disappeared. People at UMIST, on the reduction of student numbers, while each further. United States sanctions against the other hand, profess themselves offended of them has increased the intake of trans-Europe pipeline has evoked Soviet that they first heard of the proposed merger overseas students in the current academic criticism that the United States is from newspaper reports, and that there has year, Salford by 46 per cent and UMIST by deliberately trying to sabotage detente and never been a formal approach from half as much. •

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