1985-1987 - Population Studies Center - University of Michigan

important role in the research productivityof the Center. While theseare too numerous to list, 1 do wantto note Lolagene Coombs, who formany years was my principal collaboratorboth in research on U.S.fertility and on Taiwan's population.What of the future ofthe Center?A note of optimism for the nearterm is justified by the fact that theCenter is probably at a historicalhigh point in productivity, recognizedleadership in the field, and resources.I can make such a boldstatement without immodesty, sincethe achievements ofthe period from1972to 1987 have been made underthe leadership of Albert Hermalinand David Goldberg, following myretirement as Director. Since July1987, The Center has had anothercapable director, William Mason.The recognition of the status of theCenter by its peers is evident in therenewal in1986 of its major institutionalsupport grant from theNational Institute for Child Healthand Human Development, a renewalof the grant from the HewlettFoundation, and the substantialfunding of peer-reviewed grants to•members of the PSC staff.It is an intrinsic part of a centerlike ours thatthe research andteachingstaff are under heavy timepressures, especially in view of thetime and energy needed for traveland field work. The future strengthof the Center will depend on ourability to have enough highlyqualified personnel tomeet all of theCenter's obligations, especially forcontinuing interaction with studentsin residence.The basic principles and emphaseson which the Center wasfounded appear still tobe operatingand valid. We are likely tobe moreinvolved in cooperative work withcolleaguesat other institutionsathome and abroad, because thenetwork of people and the communicationsystems to make thispossible and the size of data setshave all been growing, in partthrough our efforts. Our owngrowing data archives are animportant resource for this growingworldwide network. The long-termfuture ofthe Center, as inthe past,depends on the quality of the staffand students, rather than on facilitiesand equipment. Resources willflow to excellent people working byhigh standards and with personalintegrity.The politics of population policyand frequent reports on populationmatters are day-to-day headlinesand media events that were definitelynot the case when the Centerbegan. These engage our emotionsand may affect funding and dataaccess in some areas in the nearfuture. My guess is thatthesepossible short-run problems will notprevail in the long run, becausesocial policies, whether liberal orconservative, whether federal orlocal, inevitably involve demographicparameters. Inthe long runthe cumulative result of the dailyfacts of birth, death, and migrationwill outweigh short-run politicalnews and will demand attention inour world of growing interdependence,across ideological lines.— Ronald FreedmanNovember 198742 Population Studies Center