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Scientific Freedom, Human Rights, and National Security
October 19, 2000
8:30am-1:30pm
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Auditorium
AGENDA
| 7:45-8:30 |
Tea, Coffee and Refreshments |
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| 8:30-8:45 |
Welcome and Opening Remarks |
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Albert H. Teich, Director, AAAS Directorate
for Science & Policy Programs |
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Mary Good, AAAS President |
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| 8:45-10:15 |
The National Commission on Terrorism Report: Impact
on Foreign Students and Minorities |
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Issues/Topics: |
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The recommendation of the National Commission on Terrorism
Report that the INS monitor what foreign students study at U.S. Universities
has been controversial. The proposal is to use an existing INS program
that is now in its pilot phase, the Coordinated Interagency Partnership
Regulating International Students (CIPRIS). CIPRIS is an Internet-based
system that allows universities and colleges to electronically file
information about the status of their foreign students directly to
the INS. The Commission recommends adding elements to the system that
would monitor such things as declared majors or any changes in majors.
It is possible there would be certain courses of study designated
as "red flags" or high risk, such as nuclear physics. The
information is to be shared with the participating U.S. agencies,
including the Department of State, Department of Education and the
U.S. Information Agency. |
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Panel Chair - Mary Good, AAAS President |
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Speakers |
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Yonah Alexander, Director of the
International Center for Terrorism Studies, Potomac Institute for
Policy Studies |
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Victor C. Johnson, Associate Executive Director
for Public Policy, NAFSA: Association of International Educators |
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Catheryn D. Cotten, Director, International
Office of Duke University (Duke University is a member of the
pilot phase of the CIPRIS system) |
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| 10:15 |
Break |
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| 10:30-12:30 |
Security Policies at National Labs: The Impact on
Science and Scientists |
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Issues/Topics: |
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There are reports that Asian and Asian-Americans scientists are
avoiding jobs at U.S. weapon laboratories, particularly Los Alamos,
because they claim that researchers of Asian descent have been systemically
harassed and passed over for promotions due to their ethnicity.
In fact, some Asian-American organizations have called for boycotts
of the weapons laboratories. The security measures encourage closer
monitoring of nationals from all sensitive countries. The measures,
such as polygraph testing and requirements to list all contacts
and relationships with people in sensitive countries, are seen by
some as contributing to the unjust treatment of certain scientists
and a decline in morale among scientists at the labs.
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Panel Chair - Nelson Kiang, Member, AAAS
Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility and Professor
Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University |
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Speakers |
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Maureen I. McCarthy, Chief Scientist, National
Nuclear Security Administration and Senior Technical Advisor to
the Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy |
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Jonathan Medalia, National Defense Specialist,
Congressional Research Service |
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Manvendra K. Dubey, Chair, Asian American Diversity
Working Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory |
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Stephen Younger, Associate Laboratory Director
for Nuclear Weapons, Los Alamos National Laboratory |
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Daniel Poneman, Senior Advisor to
the Baker-Hamilton Review of Certain Security Issues at Los Alamos
National Laboratory, and Partner, Hogan & Hartson |
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| 12:30-1:30 |
Open Discussion/Open Forum |
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An opportunity for attendees to discuss issues raised
during the panels, with particular emphasis on what role, if any,
the scientific community should play in addressing these issues. |
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