The Fields Institute Turns Twenty-Five 170725 Final book with covers | Page 105

A Director Is Not a Dictator
83
the current excellence of our institutes. In this respect, Fields
has found a solution that seems almost optimal: provincial and
federal funding, between them, span the principal components
of the Institute’s diverse mission, and the considerable funding
from university and private sector stakeholders ensures that
their voices contribute to the development of Fields programs.
While the first of the two components to the success
of Fields, highlighting the advancement of research in
mathematics (and, one could add, its contribution to science
and to social goals), is a universal mission shared by all
institutes worldwide, the second is of particular importance
for the mathematical community of a relatively small
country. Along with the other mathematics research institutes
operating in Canada, Fields has succeeded in connecting
the Canadian research community with the international
community, and in connecting small, isolated centres to
the mainstream community. Furthermore, these connections
occurred in a way that neither exhibited condescension
nor diminished quality. To give only one example where
interacting with the wider world has had an influence: there
has been a remarkable flourishing of applied mathematics in
Canada in the past twenty-five years, both in mathematical
biology where there has long been a distinguished tradition,
and in novel areas. I do not claim that this is due solely to the
mathematics institutes but, surely, they have helped.
Some particular elements of good fortune have helped
Fields to distinguish itself. The Institute is in a very attractive
building, one that is also well suited to accommodate research
visitors. Its venue is at the edge of an attractive and vibrant
campus with excellent resources, such as a wonderful library.
It is located in the centre of an exciting city, with excellent
transportation—important if one wants visitors to come. It
has been able to attract and to retain a superb support staff, a
point often noted by visitors. In addition, it has been fortunate