APPENDIX 9
Memorandum from Professor Dr Fritz Melchers,
Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin
Let me state at the beginning that the NIMR
at Mill Hill has an excellent world reputation as a multidiscipline,
modern molecular-genetic, cell-biological institution, with important
impact on the understanding and management of human diseases.
This reputation has been gained in decades of highly exciting,
groundbreaking research and has put Mill Hill "on the map".
I am sure that you have reached a similar conclusion
and that your intention is to secure a prosperous future for this
excellent institution under the most economic conditions. It is,
therefore, troublesome for me to hear that you consider the possibility
of either fragmenting the institution into separate sites of a
"virtual" institute, or of moving the institution into
central London into a place that has yet to be found, and maybe
to be built. The first idea of a virtual institute is certain
to destroy the essence of a physical unity of communication. Despite
the great craze about modern media for communicating (like I do
it with you here) there is nothing that equals personal contacts
in the discussions on unforeseeable opportunities—and I
wonder whether the British culture would ever be able to abandon
the "afternoon tea culture".
Such worries would not exist if you found a
place in central London for the NIMR—but you surely agree
with me that it will be VERY costly, and almost impossible to
realise. Furthermore it adds unnecessary burdens of justification
towards the taxpayer in times when money for ALL projects of society
are scarce. This option, therefore, appears unrealistic—leading
into a situation in which you could be forced to conclude that
the institute would have to be terminated since you could not
find a place for it.
In summary, it forces on me the conclusion that
"DON'T FIX WHAT AIN'T BROKE". Let me add that I know
how difficult it was—and remained—to keep the Basel
Institute for Immunology (a companion and friend of the NIMR)
in the forefront of internationally recognised, top research places,
and what a tremendous loss for this research its sudden, badly
contemplated closure has been. Once you have destroyed years of
hard developments and constant renovations these achievements
are lost—rapidly and apparently forever.
6 November 2004
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