23rd May 2000

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That was the hard-hitting message delivered by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster Professor Gerry McKenna in Paris today (23rd May).

Speaking to an invited audience of politicians and intellectuals at the British Council, the Vice-Chancellor said:

"Northern Ireland is in many ways a microcosm of the continent of Europe in the formative months of the third millennium.

"Economically, we are trying to become more competitive, to find our place in the new global economy fashioned by ICT and biotechnology

"Politically, we are striving to create a new society based on pluralism and consensus

"Socially, we are working to shape a post-modern, post-industrial community

Stressing his personal commitment to the regeneration of Northern Ireland, and the development of a new social, political and economic order, the Vice-Chancellor said:

"I make no apologies for saying that Northern Ireland by 2010 hopes to be a model for a thriving and stable region in the Information Age.

"Our universities are the last institutions in the modern state with unquestioned integrity and impartiality. Those sacrosanct qualities must be preserved and protected. They are the strongest argument for the survival of our universities – and for their autonomy and independence."

The Vice-Chancellor - himself a bioscientist – also intervened in the GM foods debate, saying that

"Science has been demonised as arrogant and uncaring, and governments have failed to lead in addressing public concerns."

He added that while GM food held great promise for the world in terms of helping end starvation, malnutrition and disease.

"The debate on GM food has only just begun: any advances in GM knowledge can and should only take place as part of a sustainable development framework.

"Much research remains to be done if we are to establish that the process of genetic modification can be a benevolent one - and if science is to have its work valued and accepted by society."

Concluding, the Vice Chancellor emphasised that GM science must only be developed within strictly regulated ethical guidelines.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk