370 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX. No. 1268 



According to its program the committee 

 proposes that an independent office be insti- 

 tuted in the Ministry of Public Instruction 

 to promote and direct the exchange of teach- 

 ers with foreign countries, to send abroad 

 Italian men of letters for historical or scien- 

 tific research or to teach, to summon foreign 

 teachers or students to Italy, to regulate fel- 

 lowships, to provide eventually for the founda- 

 tion of Italian institutions of higher educa- 

 tion outside the boundaries of Italy, and to 

 cultivate in every way our intellectual rela- 

 tions with other nations. 



The office will consist of a council and an 

 executive board, with the Minister of Public 

 Instruction as president of both. In the 

 council, composed of twenty-one members, the 

 faculties of the universities, the Minister of 

 Public Instruction with the two general di- 

 rectors of higher and secondary instruction, 

 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that of Agri- 

 culture, of Industry and Coromerce, and the 

 Congress are all duly represented. As the 

 Ministry of Public Instruction is given power 

 to elect two members at large, elements out- 

 side the school and state administration may 

 also have representation. 



With full autonomy in its deliberations and 

 in the administration of funds which must be 

 assigned by the departments concerned, the 

 office has that freedom necessary to accomplish 

 its varied and delicate functions. 



The council issues every year a general 

 program of the various activities of the office, 

 but the really active body is the executive 

 boaj-d composed of seven members elected by 

 the coimcil from its own members. 



The law which has already been mentioned 

 gives rules for those going to foreign coun- 

 tries to teach or to study, providing for their 

 legal status and for that of foreign professors 

 who come temporarily to Italy for the purpose 

 of teaching. The Italian professors who, by 

 the arrangement of the office and with the 

 approval of the proper minis^try, go to foreign 

 countries, are divided into three classes accord- 

 ing to the length of time they are to be 

 absent from the kingdom: for less than one 



year, for more than one year and less than 

 five, or for more than five years. On the for- 

 eign professor who teaches in Italy is con- 

 ferred the dignity of the Italian professor of 

 equal rank, and legal validity is given to his 

 course of lectures, under certain conditions. 



The last part of these regulations deter- 

 mines the legal value of studies pursued out- 

 side the kingdom, of study of foreigners in 

 Italy, and of the fellowships. In general, 

 studies and examinations taken in state insti- 

 tutions or those of equal rank in foreign coun- 

 tries are acceiited as of the same value as 

 studies and examinations taken in schools of 

 the same rank in Italy. The fellowships are 

 not restricted, as hitherto, to graduates, but 

 may also be awarded to university students 

 who desire, for the sake of some special work, 

 to visit laboratories, libraries, or foreign 

 archives. Every year a certain number of 

 fellowships is offered to students and grad- 

 uates (provided they are of not more than two 

 years standing) of high schools, normal and 

 professional schools, and special institutions, 

 in order to make it possible for them to follow 

 courses of study in foreign countries. . Among 

 the advantages of such a plan, by no means 

 the least important will be the preparation of 

 good teachers of foreign languages. 



The outline given here offers nothing more 

 that the general plans of an extended program. 

 The law itself will constitute the basis for 

 proposed international conventions to facili- 

 tate and promote our intellectual relations 

 with foreign countries, and to extend knowl- 

 edge of Italy beyond our boundaries on the 

 one hand and, on the other, to gain informa- 

 tion about the friendly coimtries. 



To give rapid development to this plan and 

 to cooperate with the state institutions in 

 Italy and abroad for its accomplishment is of 

 course one of the most important tasks of the 

 Italian Association. Probably similar associa- 

 tions in the allied and friendly countries will 

 be able to cooperate with it for this purpose. 



The other articles of the first two issues 

 of L'intesa intellettuale which reached this 

 country deal with the organization of the 



