James Wolfensohn on IAS

“I think that having now really had a chance to look at the world because of the good luck of my recent professional work, I am even more convinced that centers of excellence are essential for the future of mankind. I think that they are constantly under challenge for financial and political reasons and that the Institute is a very, very important part of our history and our future. I am not trying to idealize its Professors or its Board or its physical attributes, but a place that can support twenty or more of the finest minds that the world has produced and allow them in turn to influence both their colleagues and, in particular, the next generation, with no pressure for degrees, no pressure for formal recognition, but solely to advance scholarship, is a true jewel in the intellectual firmament.”––James D. Wolfensohn, Chair Emeritus, in James Wolfensohn: A True Jewel in the Intellectual Firmament