Questions to the President of KTH from Media

I here publish a letter to KTH President Peter Gudmundsson from John O'Sullivan, science writer and legal analyst. The answers by the President will be published when available.

Letter by John O'Sullivan Dec 10 2010:

President Royal Institute of Technology KTH

Dear President Gudmundson,

I am a science writer and legal analyst and I write for a syndicate of international news websites. I am following up on the recent story regarding the banning of a book used at KTH. The book in question, ‘BodyandSoul’ is written by one of your professors, Claes Johnson.The story is gaining widespread interest as it raises the question of academic freedom. So far the media has published no official response from you on this problematic issue. I would very much like to publish your side of the story and I give you my assurance that I will publish your full response.

In this regard I would be most grateful if you would kindly answer the following questions:

1. Did you stop and replace the book, ‘BodyandSoul’ or not?
2. If so, why? Was there some particular material in the book that had to be stopped? Exactly what was unacceptable?
3. Were you under pressure from some group or organization or was your decision totally independent of external influence?
4. What is you view on ‘BodyandSoul’ as a modern mathematics educational program?
5. Is the mathematics education at KTH up to date and functional?

May I thank you in advance for your kind consideration of these issues.

Kind regards, John O’Sullivan

Answer by President Gudmundson Dec 13 10.02:

Dear Mr. O’Sullivan,

Please find below my answers to your questions:

• Did you stop and replace the book, ‘BodyandSoul’ or not? No
• If so, why? Was there some particular material in the book that had to be stopped?See answer above. Exactly what was unacceptable? See answer above.
• Were you under pressure from some group or organization or was your decision totally independent of external influence? No
• What is you view on ‘BodyandSoul’ as a modern mathematics educational program? No personal view on this.
• Is the mathematics education at KTH up to date and functional? Yes

Sincerely yours, Peter Gudmundson

Letter by John O'Sullivan Dec 13 11.47:

Dear President,

Thank you for your precise answers to rebut the claims of Professor Johnson. However, Johnson has made further statements over the weekend in the press that the book has been removed from the course.

This is causing confusion and is not helped by the fact that Metro-Teknik has also published a statement they attribute to you that claims that you say the book has been removed and replaced by KTH. Can you confirm or deny that the statements allegedly made by you in Metro-Teknik are correct? Was the book "replaced by KTH"? Are both Johnson and Metro-Teknik lying?

Also, there is what appears to be your official statement in DN that "pages were removed by responsible persona at KTH.” Would you care to comment on the truthfulness of the DN statement or clarify the meaning? Are your words being misrepresented by others?

Many thanks in advance, John O’Sullivan

Answer by Peter Gudmundson Dec 13 17.31:

Dear Mr. O´Sullivan,

I repeat that I have not taken any decisions regarding the book “BodyandSoul”. Questions related to individual courses are handled by the Schools that are involved, in this case School of Computer Science and Communication and School of Engineering Sciences. This has also been the case in the course that you refer to.

Concerning statements in newspapers there can be misinterpretations.

Sincerely yours, Peter Gudmundson

Letter by John O'Sullivan Dec 15 14.37:

Dear President,

I have now clarified with Metro-Teknik that you were not instrumental in imposing the banning of any part of Professor Johnson's book, 'BodyandSoul'. But can you please clarify, in your role as president, if part of KTH has placed such a ban on this book? Also, can you tell me which part of your organization did this and for what reason and do you approve of such a ban?

Many thanks for your help with this important issue.

Regards, John

Answer by Peter Gudmundson:

No answer Dec 16: The President is thinking.

No answer Dec 20: The President is hesitating.

No answer Dec 21: The President has nothing to say.

No answer Dec 25: The President has decided to say nothing.

Media coverage by John O'Sullivan will follow...

Analysis Dec 15:

The following key questions are now facing the President:

• Has BS been banned at KTH? If Yes, by whom and why?
• If BS has not been banned at KTH, why does the President say to media that it has?
• Which are the "misinterpretations" presented by newspapers, and what are correct interpretations to publish?

The following further questions present themselves:

• Does the President of KTH have a responsibility to correct "misinterpretations" in media of statements made to media by KTH and the President of KTH?
• Can KTH afford to have its reputation damaged by "misinterpretations" in media?
• What in fact is "misinterpreted"?
• If there are "misinterpretations" in media, are there also "misinterpretations" at KTH?
• Can the President of KTH supply media with "misinterpretations" of my scientific work without any reaction from the Faculty of KTH?
• Has the President received protests from students concerning BS? If so, what were the students protesting against and what was the reaction of the President?
• Why does the President refuse all forms of contact with me, while apparently uncritically communicating disinformation from others?

The President has not been willing to have any communication with me, not to speak of a personal meeting, except sending me the laconic email "I have not removed BodyandSoul", in conformity with the above: "

I have not taken any decisions regarding the book BodyandSoul".

As far as I can understand, BS has been banned by KTH, as demonstrated by the fact that the

course homepage does not contain a direct link to the book, only the statement

• The course uses a set of chapters from a draft of the e-book "Body and Soul, Mathematical Simulation Technology", by Johan Jansson and Claes Johnson. A specification of the chapters included in this course can be found here.

The net result is that the book is banned, while a certain set of chapters from the book is not banned. The book contains 261 chapters and the set contains less than 20 chapters. I do not acknowledge any excerpt from the book consisting of this set of chapters.

There is one book, the ebook BodyandSoul: Mathematical Simulation Technology (eBS), and a

s far as I can understand, eBS has been banned at KTH by

some part of the organization of KTH.

Who is/are responsible for the censorship? Students? Dean of School of Engineering Sciences?

President? Faculty? Nobody?