Although naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1967, Ponnamperuma has maintained ties with his native country, where he serves as science adviser to President J.R. Jayewardene. He also directs both the Institute of Fundamental Studies there, which was formed in 1981 to promote and conduct research in the natural, physical and social sciences, and the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Modern Technologies in Sri Lanka.
Ponnamperuma was interviewed at his University of Maryland office by Tabitha M. Powledge, editor of THE SCIENTIST, on April 14, before the recent wave of sectarian violence swept Sri Lanka. This is an edited version of their talk.
One of the things I'm involved in right now is setting up an Institute of Fundamental Studies in Sri Lanka, something which today is what the Weizmann Institute was 45 years ago. We are starting very late, but this came up as a result of the president's ...
