72
In that same year, Antonio Bethencourt, who had just been appointed
Chancellor of the University of La Laguna, invited me to become Vicechancellor for Research. I accepted the appointment with enthusiasm, bearing in mind the benefits that this might bring for the recently constituted
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and the introduction of astrophysics into
the university curriculum. Ministerial authorization was soon given for the
creation of the Physics Faculty in La Laguna, which started at the second cycle
(fourth and fifth year of studies) with an option for astrophysics. We also
managed to get the President, on an electioneering visit to the Canaries, to
unblock the signing of the Treaty concerning Cooperation in Matters of
Astrophysics, which still continues to give such good results (Chaps. 10 and
11). He also provided funds for the development of research programmes
coordinated by the University; with these funds, I managed to ensure the
launching of aquiculture in the Canary Islands, uniting the efforts of the
University of La Laguna with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, and the
Taliarte Centre of the Local Government (Cabildo) of Gran Canaria.
At that time the University was a political cauldron, with fledgling political
parties jockeying for visibility, agitating, and competing in order to stand out
from the others. New leaders were learning their trade, and any topic whatever provided a motive for organizing noisy debates and rowdy protests.
Francoism was in its final, spasmodic death throes. There was no question of
university autonomy: the budget came from the ministry, the minister
appointed the chancellor and also named, at the behest of the chancellor, the
vice-chancellors, deans, and other academic authorities. There was a daily
menu of strikes, assemblies, protest days, stoppages, mural graffiti, posters,
and so on. It was also a time of protest concerts, which even reached the
University of La Laguna. When Lluis Llach came to sing at our University,
Manuel Fraga, who, together with Arias Navarro, ran the Ministry of
Governance, banned the concert. As soon as Llach’s plane landed, they
whisked him from the Canaries on the next flight to Sweden.
It was an interesting, but disquieting, panorama. The Communist Party
was legalized in April and the trade unions some days later. The first free elections were held on 15 June 1977, and the Central Democratic Union of
Adolfo Suárez won.
On the same day that elections were being held, Channel 1 of Radiotelevisión
Española aired on the programme ¿Quién es? (‘Who is it?’) a report concerning
a young astrophysicist called Francisco Sánchez, who was to be found roaming among the peaks of the Canary Islands while doing and saying exotic
things. It was a long programme, lasting more than half-an-hour, shown after
the mid-day news bulletin and had a wide viewership. They probably chose
F. Sánchez
In that same year, Antonio Bethencourt, who had just been appointed
Chancellor of the University of La Laguna, invited me to become Vicechancellor for Research. I accepted the appointment with enthusiasm, bearing in mind the benefits that this might bring for the recently constituted
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and the introduction of astrophysics into
the university curriculum. Ministerial authorization was soon given for the
creation of the Physics Faculty in La Laguna, which started at the second cycle
(fourth and fifth year of studies) with an option for astrophysics. We also
managed to get the President, on an electioneering visit to the Canaries, to
unblock the signing of the Treaty concerning Cooperation in Matters of
Astrophysics, which still continues to give such good results (Chaps. 10 and
11). He also provided funds for the development of research programmes
coordinated by the University; with these funds, I managed to ensure the
launching of aquiculture in the Canary Islands, uniting the efforts of the
University of La Laguna with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, and the
Taliarte Centre of the Local Government (Cabildo) of Gran Canaria.
At that time the University was a political cauldron, with fledgling political
parties jockeying for visibility, agitating, and competing in order to stand out
from the others. New leaders were learning their trade, and any topic whatever provided a motive for organizing noisy debates and rowdy protests.
Francoism was in its final, spasmodic death throes. There was no question of
university autonomy: the budget came from the ministry, the minister
appointed the chancellor and also named, at the behest of the chancellor, the
vice-chancellors, deans, and other academic authorities. There was a daily
menu of strikes, assemblies, protest days, stoppages, mural graffiti, posters,
and so on. It was also a time of protest concerts, which even reached the
University of La Laguna. When Lluis Llach came to sing at our University,
Manuel Fraga, who, together with Arias Navarro, ran the Ministry of
Governance, banned the concert. As soon as Llach’s plane landed, they
whisked him from the Canaries on the next flight to Sweden.
It was an interesting, but disquieting, panorama. The Communist Party
was legalized in April and the trade unions some days later. The first free elections were held on 15 June 1977, and the Central Democratic Union of
Adolfo Suárez won.
On the same day that elections were being held, Channel 1 of Radiotelevisión
Española aired on the programme ¿Quién es? (‘Who is it?’) a report concerning
a young astrophysicist called Francisco Sánchez, who was to be found roaming among the peaks of the Canary Islands while doing and saying exotic
things. It was a long programme, lasting more than half-an-hour, shown after
the mid-day news bulletin and had a wide viewership. They probably chose
F. Sánchez