NEW HEAD FOR CSIRO. CSIRO will soon have a new Chief Executive, Dr Geoff Garrett, the former Chief Executive of CSIR in South Africa. Dr Garrett places great emphasis on excellence in scientific research. He has said that this is what distinguishes a top research organisation from those that under-perform. The Chair of the CSIR Board in South Africa has said 'he has added great value...for our country'. That is also an important goal for a leader of CSIRO. The Academy's press release is at http://www.science.org.au/academy/media/csirohead.htm.

GOVERNMENT DISCUSSIONS Academy representatives have been having many discussions with government officials, Ministers and their staffs about the reports of the Chief Scientist, Robin Batterham, and the Innovation Summit Implementation Group. The Academy is also preparing a comment to the Senate inquiry into the proposed legislation for the Australian Research Council and will be submitting advice to another Parliamentary Committee enquiry into the condition of our universities.

EUROPEAN-AUSTRALIAN COOPERATION The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST) is an initiative of the diplomatic missions representing members of the European Union in Australia, in association with major Australian science and technology organisations, including the Academy of Science. The aim is to highlight and improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Europe and Australia. The FEAST website is at http://www.france.net.au/feast.

AIDS SYMPOSIUM, 29-30 NOVEMBER The final program for the National Academies Forum symposium, Every Eight Seconds: AIDS revisited, is at http://www.naf.org.au/aids.htm.