IS ACADEMIC FREEDOM HURT BY SECRET RESEARCH?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030076-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 76
• Publication Date: May 21, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP
WflCLE A
ON PAGE
Is academic
freedom hurt bye
secret research?
By Robert C. Cower-
There was an air of mystery about
the United States' great research uni-
versities during World War II. Pistol-
packing guards barred corridors and
buildings whose restricted access sug-
gested knowledge known only to a
privileged few Even the most daring of
student pranksters left those areas
alone. The guards meant business, and
whatever the university was up to was
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE NK)NITOR
21 May 1985
like to place some classified research
with universities. This, for example,
could extend the scope of work to be
done by a nine-university consortium
with which the Pentagon is negotiating
to develop basic technology for the
"star wars" space defense program.
Kennedy and Perle were part of a
panel that briefed news reporters on
the control of scientific information.
The other two panelists were William
Perry, former undersecretary of de-
fense for research and engineering, and
Adm. Bobby Inman (ret.), former di-
rector of the National Security Agency
(NSA). The American Association for
the Advancement of Science (AAAS),
Association of American Universities,
and Scientists' Institute for Public In-
not use it in teaching. Graduate students
who worked on their projects would be de-
nied the stimulus of talking over their the-
sis work with fellow students.
Meanwhile, Werner A. Baum of Flor-
ida State University is to receive the
AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsi-
bility Award next week for having faced
down the Department of Commerce and
the NSA on a secrecy issue seven years
ago. Baum, who was then chancellor of
the University of Wisconsin at Milwau-
kee, balked at an attempt to slap a secrecy
order on an encryption device invented at
FSU. The agencies backed off. The order
was withdrawn. And Baum helped de-
velop a policy of voluntary review for
"sensitive" scholarly papers on
cryptology - a policy that preserved aca?
no business of yours. formation held the briefing. demic freedom.
It's a scene those universities don't The main topic was concern over the It is unlikely that there will be a need
want to see again, however proud their use of export controls to restrict publi- for such standoffs over the next few
contribution to the war effort. Indeed, cation of research or its presentation at years. But the tension between academic
they generally prohibit classified re- professional meetings. This has been freedom and national security could
search on campus. Yet, for those with done with government and industry re- tighten as more DOD-funded research i;
long memories, it forms a background search in defense-related areas, even done on campus. What is needed now is a
RESEARCH
NOTEBOOK
to the con- when the research itself is nonsecret. national consensus, especially within the
tinuing con- 't'here has been little such restriction of
cern over US university research. But the academic
government community worries about it.
efforts to re- At the moment, however, there seems
strict the free little threat of any determined effort to use
and technical export controls to restrict university free-
information. dom. The Defense Department denies any
Thus, when Assistant Secretary of such intention. It would be prohibited
Defense Richard Perle recently asked from doing so by the language of the four-
Stanford University president Donald year extension of the Export Administra-
Kennedy if the university's ban on se- Lion Act. Indeed, there was general agree-
cret research is not itself an infringe- ment among the panelists that academic
ment of academic freedom, Kennedy freedom should be preserved.
had a ready answer. He explained that But when some faculty members are
Stanford prohibits such work on themselves tempted to take the bait of
campus because it would interfere with classified DOD research contracts. there
the life of the university as a commu- could be problems. Inman, who has been
nity of scholars and inhibit education visiting campuses throughout the US,
by restricting free discussion. said he has found the desire to take such
Wartime secrecy ruined the free in- contracts to be fairly widespread. Penta-
terchange of information and clash of gon dollars are attractive. And some uni-
ideas among students and faculty versity scientists and engineers want to
members. It suspended the equal 'ac- have the freedom to help meet what they
cess to knowledge, which is the essence consider an important national need with-
- literally the collegiality - of univer- out being forced to go off campus to do so.
sity life. Perle had no such wholesale Kennedy rightly pointed out that it is
limitation in mind. But, as Kennedy the larger freedom of the university that is
noted, once secrecy returns to the at stake. Were such secret projects al-
campus, however limited its scope, no lowed on campuses, some professors
one knows how it might spread. would again have privileged access to uni-
Ii s a live issue. The Department of versity-developed knowledge. They could
Defense (DOD), as Perle noted, would not discuss it with colleagues. They could
academic community, on the proper role
for the university in defense-related work.
A Tuesday column. Robert C.
Cowen is the Monitor's natural sci-
ence editor.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030076-4