ACADEMICS PROTEST CUTS WITH MARATHON LECTURE

[AussieMark]

Academics Protest Cuts with Marathon Lecture

BERLIN (Reuters) - University professors and students are holding a 72-hour outdoor physics lecture in one of Berlin's busiest squares to protest budget cuts and beat a record.
In a makeshift tent in front of the high-rise office buildings at Potsdamer Platz, 32 professors from the city's universities have been lecturing students and passers-by non-stop since Monday.

"When I lectured on laser optics last night at 3 a.m., all seats were taken with dozens of students listening from outside even though it was freezing," says Professor Paul Fumagalli from the Free University, the largest of Berlin's three universities.

Threatened with bankruptcy and mounting debts, the Berlin government has announced enormous rollbacks in public spending, including $89.6 million of cuts to the city's universities.

"The cuts would mean an average one in four staff members being dismissed. We cannot tolerate this madness," Professor Fumagalli said.

Protests intensified last week when students raided offices of the city government, occupied the headquarters of the ruling PDS left-wing party, blocked roads and even tried to storm parliament's lower house.

The protest shows no signs of abating. "We might even extend our marathon lecture here because more professors want to participate," said 23-year old physics student Peter Kate.

The organizers say the round-the-clock lecture, if successful, will be longer than the Guinness book's current record of 51 hours 44 minutes, set by 24-year old American Dustin Buehler earlier this year.

[JCT777]

A 72 hour lecture? Talk about a cure for insomnia!