World Student Datelines

A Conference on suicide among college students, sponsored by the National Student Association with a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, drew students from about 40 colleges and universities all over the U.S.A. recenty.

• "Never again"

Czechoslovakia: Zby-nek Vokroughlicky, chairman of the Czech Youth said that one must respect the sacrifice of Jan Palach, but that at the same time it must be realised that this way was not the way out of the actual situation. A Prague student spokesman said that the union would be responsible for seeing that Jan Palach's death by self-immolation was not repeated by others. "We want to ensure that this country reaches by normal means the goal of being governed by its own people." he said.

• Lenin centenary

Soviet Union: In connection with the celebrations of the centenary of Lenin's birth, all the Union Republics are establishing "People's Lenin Universities", where workers will study Lenin's biography and his works. On 1 January, a national public festival of People's Universities began and will last till April, 1970.

• Academic pressure

United States: Eightyfive black Harvard students recently forced Professor S. M. Breuning to cancel a course unit, Planning 11-3B, claiming that it was intended to teach police how to suppress rioters. Students packed the lecture hall when the course opened. An ad hoc faculty committee then paid for a half-page ad in the student newspaper "Harvard Crimson", claiming that academic freedom was being infringed. President Pusey, the administrative head, said "Coercive methods have no place in this university community".