Ni'Var Science Institute

Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)

Warning! This page contains information regarding Star Trek: Discovery, and thus may contain spoilers.

The Science Academy grounds, in the late 2240s

The Vulcan Science Academy (VSA) was an advanced educational and research institute located on Vulcan. After reunification with the Romulans, it became known as the Ni'Var Science Institute. (DIS: "Unification III")

Graduates of the Vulcan Science Academy could apply for the Vulcan Expeditionary Group. (DIS: "Lethe")

Admission

Michael Burnham's diploma from the Vulcan Science Academy

Michael Burnham was the first Human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy, from 2245 to 2249, where she studied quantum mechanics. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello", "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry")

File:SpockCouncil.jpg

Spock refuses admission before a Vulcan Science Academy council in the alternate reality

As late as 2249 of the alternate reality, no Vulcan in the Academy's entire history had ever declined admission. But, as in the prime universe, Spock declined acceptance in protest to the admission council's labeling his Human mother a "disadvantage". The Academy would be destroyed, along with all of Vulcan, in 2258. (Star Trek)

The script of the film Star Trek made it clear that, prior to Spock's rejection of admittance into the Vulcan Science Academy, they had never had a half-Human pupil. The script also suggested that at the end of the film, Spock Prime planned to "assist in the foundation of a new science academy." [1]

In 2250, Spock decided to join Starfleet rather than attend the Vulcan Science Academy, against the wishes of his father, Sarek. Spock's decision was motivated by the realization that he would never be seen as an equal by the staff, only as someone who had "overcome the handicap" of half-Human parentage. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")

Instructors

T'Pol's mother, T'Les, was an instructor at the Vulcan Science Academy until 2154, when she was asked to resign. (ENT: "Home")

In the writers' second draft script of ENT: "Breaking the Ice", T'Pol admitted that, prior to the launch of Enterprise NX-01, she had been planning to take a director's position at the Vulcan Science Academy.

Following the Federation-Klingon War peace accord in 2257, the Vulcan Science Academy offered Paul Stamets a permanent teaching position, which Stamets accepted. (DIS: "Brother") Stamets, however, ultimately passed up the position. (DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow")

From 2354 to 2369, Dr. T'Pan served as director of the Vulcan Science Academy. (TNG: "Suspicions")

Research work

By the mid-22nd century, the Vulcan Science Academy had spent a deal of time studying sub-quantum transporting but had little success. Earth's expert on transporters, Emory Erickson, had been trying to get his hands on some of the Science Academy's research for years to no avail. Erickson later claimed that it was probably just as well, as it might have sent him down the wrong path. (ENT: "Daedalus")

In the mid-2150s, the Vulcan Science Academy was skeptical on the issue of time travel. (ENT: "Awakening")

In an ultimately unused line of dialogue from the first draft script of ENT: "Strange New World", T'Pol made it clear that the reason she wanted to stay overnight to study wildlife on a particular unnamed planet was that "the Vulcan Science Academy may find the data useful."

Prior to the sealing of the ruins in the mid-23rd century, the VSA excavated archeological sites on Tagus III. The Jacobson Excavation recovered artifacts from the Post-Ramirez Era and Sepulveda Period. (TNG: "Qpid")

Information on the VSA's activities on Tagus III is from an okudagram titled, "Tagus III Archaeological Notes", which was perused by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 2367.

In the late 2360s, the USS Merrimac was on special assignment for the academy. (TNG: "Brothers", "Chain of Command, Part I")

In 2387, the Vulcan Science Academy commissioned the Jellyfish. (Star Trek)

Appendices

See also

• Vulcan Science Council
• Vulcan Science Directorate

Apocrypha

The Way of Kolinahr notes that the Vulcan Science Academy was founded in 399 in the city of ShiKahr, made up of a combination of modern and ancient buildings.

The novelization of the Star Trek suggests that, after declining acceptance, Spock salutes the council with a "distinctly Human digital gesture" unfamiliar to them – a raised middle finger – before walking out.

External links

• [2]
• Ni'Var Science Institute at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works