14 president's address. 



aid of a subsid}' from the Prussian Government, was set up at 

 Jena in 1884, and it is interesting to note that in 1881 practically 

 all the optical glass for the experiments was got from two firms, 

 one English, the other French. 



Ill South Africa for some time to come the number of jxjst- 

 graduate and research workers in the universities will be small. 

 The real inducement to hold out to such students is a preference 

 for appointments of good standing after their post-graduate 

 course; if in the choice of experts for the Government scientific 

 departments the work done in such a course is to be reckoned, a 

 stimulus far better than the offer of scholarshij^s or bursaries 

 will be given. The award of scholarshi])s for research is l)eset 

 with difficulties, for any previous examination test is ciuite 

 irrelevant. Nor need the complaint, voiced at times in America, 

 that the postgraduate courses are filled v.ith (|ualification- 

 hunters instead of true seekers after knowledge be taken as 

 very alarming; if for a jjost research is necessary, it is obviously 

 good that a man should be trained for it, and trial made, if he 

 is suitable for such work. If the heads of departments are 

 enthusiasts themselves, tlicy will lead on those in whom there 

 is the real aptitude for research, though previouslv unknown. 

 and }'our mere (jualification-hunter may become a true seeker 

 after knowledge. Research is the crown of the work of a 

 university, and the i)Osition of a university in South Africa com- 

 ])ared with universities in other parts of the world will largely 

 be determined by its achievements in the higher fields of research 

 and investigation. 



'l'o-da\- there is general agreement that the purposes of 

 a University may be classed under three heads, — teaching, 

 under which may l)e reckoned the influence of teacher on student 

 and student on student, research, and influence on the com- 

 munity in whicli it does its work'. For teaching to be at its best 

 there must be the spirit of research in the memljers of the teach- 

 ing staff. For influence on the community there nuist be a real 

 co-oi)eration between the communit>' and the university, the 

 university must train and hel]) the members of the comnuinity. 

 and the}- in turn nuisl support it liberally to gi\-e it the fullest 

 facilities tor tliat training and help; for this influence on 

 the community to be greatest there must be an admiration of. and 

 jjride in, the nniversitx ; this uuist follow if. through distinction 

 in research, it takes high ranl< with other universities. .\ univer- 

 sity may be spoken of as a nation was spoken of 1)\- James 

 Russell Lowell. " Oittsiders can only be expected to judge a 

 Tiation l)\ tlie .unount it h;is contributed to the civilization of 

 the world; the amount, th;U is. that can l)i' sreu and hajidled. 

 A great place in liistory can only be ;ic]n'eve(l b\- con^petitive 

 examinations, na\', l)y a long course of them. I low much new 

 thought ba\i- we contribuie<i to the common stock; Til] that 

 t|uestion be triumphantly answered, or needs no answer, we 

 must continue to be sim])ly interesting .is an experiment, to 



