FOREWORD 



Today scientific research is recognized as being of basic importance for 

 human welfare and culture. Every field of human activities is now the 

 subject of research, supported by increasing financial help from govern- 

 mental and private sources. Science is fundamentally international, 

 since new facts discovered in one country are always in one way or 

 another interesting for the rest of the world. As a consequence thereof 

 scientists have to keep in close contact with colleagues in foreign countries 

 by working in their institutes for shorter or longer periods, or by attending 

 symposia and congresses. 



The Wenner-Gren Center Foundation is intended to promote research in 

 two ways. 



1. Scientists from diff'erent countries are invited to attend symposia 

 arranged by the Foundation. This is nowadays felt to be the most effective 

 way of stimulating exchange of ideas between speciaHsts in a hmited 

 research field. However, it should be noticed that the Foundation is 

 bound to support all branches of scientific research without preference 

 for any particular faculty. Natural sciences and humanities with all their 

 ramifications are equally welcome. 



2. Hundreds of research workers, most of them in the most productive 

 period of their lives, are coming to Stockholm every year, holding fellow- 

 ships from all over the world. It was felt that offering in a new form 

 facilities for contacts between these our guests would create an extra- 

 ordinary opportunity for promoting intellectual and personal international 

 friendship") and closer relations. In addition, it was considered important 

 to give them the chance of meeting Swedish colleagues and of learning 

 about our culture and way of living. 



This was the reason why the late Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren, a well-known 

 benefactor to science for 25 years, gave the initial capital for building 

 the Wenner-Gren Center, and the Swedish Government generously 

 contributed by giving a building-site to the Foundation. This is ideally 

 situated in beautiful surroundings with practically all the important 

 scientific institutions of Stockholm within a radius of one Enghsh mile. 



At the present time two buildings are ready and in use for one year. 

 The 25-storey building (the " Pylon ") contains offices for many Swedish 

 scientific authorities and organizations — The University Chancellor, State 

 Research Councils, some institutions of Stockholm University, the Swedish 

 Chemical Society and others. The " Hehcon " in 4 storeys, over 300 yards 



