1094 PONTIFICIAE ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARVM SCRIPTA VARIA - 28
to focus attention on identifying and giving support to persons
who have the ability to undertake research work of high qua-
lity, and to try to increase their number as quickly as pos-
sible, and at the same time to offer opportunities for training
to persons of average ability whose services would be equally
essential in supplying a wide base for the pyramid of scientific
work.
5.6. There is urgent need of fostering the spirit of objective
scientific criticism through free expression and exchange of
views and opinions. One effective way of promoting this would
be to make it easy for scientific workers to migrate from one
post to another and give an absolute guarantee of such free-
dom to migrate. Any scientific worker who feels, rightly or
wrongly, that he has not enough opportunities for fruitful
work in one institution would be free to migrate to some other
institution. Such migrations or the possibility of such migra
tions would have an indirect but most important selective effect
on scientist at all levels.
5.7. It is necessary to recognise that the social value of an
individual scientist of high ability is far greater in a developing
country because of the leadership he may be able to supply.
[t is only scientists engaged in fundamental research who can
function as the eyes and ears of the nation in making the nation
appreciate and identify urgent needs of applied research. The
emergence of even one or two outstanding research scientists
can enhance the prestige of the nation in a most significant way
at the international level and promote the growth of self respect
and self confidence of the nation. This is why it is particularly
important in developing countries to identify such individuals,
at first very few in number, and give them all possible facilities
and encouragement to continue their work in their own country.
5.8. In the highly developed countries science advanced
both from progress at the highest levels of research, at the top,
and from the wide diffusion of education. at the bottom. The
‘147 Mahalanobis I - pag. 26
