UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1960-11-18_Page-039

1 I I Mr. n .... nein lIeikal Editor- in- Chief' IUAbram Cairo. V. A.R.. ~Iy dear Mr. lIeikal . October 29 . ~960 In trying to summarize the situation of t he Uni­versity and Lal¥' 160 (growing out of the discussions with Minister Hussein) it seemed to me that the only thing I could do 'Was to return to the fundamentals of the case . l~e happen ' to be 3n American institution in philosophy. program. etc., devoting its resources and experience to serving Egypt and the Arab countries . The fundamental issue is whether or not we are wanted to continue as such . I turn to this fundamental question rather than trying to debate the details of the Law1 one after the other. The latter proceas would be endless and frustrating all the while for everybody concerned . From a practical point of view, the University has no a~ternative but to understand its position with regard to this rundamental question. If we tried to stay OD under the Law (aa we now !!!:J. UDder it by .linisteri.al Orders) we could not keep a aingle good American professor on the staff . Rightly or wrongly , freedom of determin~ sUbject- matter. freedom of discussion, research and. instruct.ion in hit;her education 1a highly prized in the American Bducationaij. tradition. The controls imposed by Law 160 are in conflict with practically every aspect of that tradition . I repeat .that we could not keep, or secure , a single ~ professor under the circumstances . And for the same reasons we cou1d not secure financial support. We get Boney now because American individuals, business con­cerns, Foundations and goveroment believe in the American philosophy of educatioDf (and in the Amea."'ican methods of instruction, exami nation and the like) sufficiently to support this University . If we are forced by virtae of Law 160~ so to change our nature, program and procedures as to depart from that philo.ophy ~ we could not get money to run the institution. This brings us right back to the basic question.: ~PoeB Egypt want us to stay and thus be ab~e to maintai n our basic concept of education?" If not, the Lav will forco us t o leave. I f we are allowed to exist, then we must, somehow. be exeDlpted from the Law. lie stand ready to stay or go, according to the will of Egypt. lie are not tryina to Coree ours elves upon Egypt at a l l . We have t.oo nigh a regard for Ec:Ypt , Egyptians, and the program and progres s of" the government to do that