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Scientists and international government officials gather to discuss UFOs (Video)

The Center for UFO Research held the 2013 Symposium on Official and Scientific Investigation of UAP (UFOs) this weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina. Open Minds was there to cover the event and got exclusive interviews with the scientists and government officials who were there to discuss their research and investigations.

The event was financed and organized by Kent Senter, who has researched the UFO phenomena for over 25 years. He was one of the founding members of the North Carolina chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). Senter is battling an incurable cancer, and wanted to put together a credible conference as part of his “bucket list.” Early on his cancer was misdiagnosed, and with some of the money he was awarded in a settlement, he was able to bring in the best people from all over the world to accomplish his goal of elevating the credibility of UFO research.

Leslie Kean, Ken and Patty Senter
From left: Leslie Kean, Kent Senter and his wife Patty. (Credit: Alejandro Rojas)

In order to help him gather the most credible international group, he enlisted the help of Leslie Kean. Her book, UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go On the Record, was a New York Times best-seller, and has garnered positive attention from mainstream media and scientists.

Included among the international speakers were two representatives from official government UFO research organizations. One of those is Xavier Passot, the head of GEIPAN, a UFO investigative group that is part of France’s CNES (National Centre for Space Studies), which is the equivalent to NASA here in the US. The other official was Jose Lay, the international affairs director of Chile’s Committee for the Study of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CEFAA). This organization is a branch of the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics, which is similar to our FAA.

Xavier Passot and Jose Lay
Xavier Passot of GEIPAN (left) and Jose Lay of CEFAA. (Credit: Alejandro Rojas)

Other international speakers included retired Major General Wilfried De Brouwer of the Belgium Air Force. He presided over the official investigation of 2000 reports of triangular shaped UFOs over Belgium from 1989 to 1991. He says the witnesses included highly credible individuals including pilots and police officials.

An incredible case involving the Unites States military was presented by retired Colonel Charles Halt, who in 1980 was the deputy base commander at RAF Bentwaters in England when he and other Air Force personnel witnessed UFO activity over the period of a few nights. Bentwaters was being leased by the US from the UK government, and the files on this case were included in the UK government’s recent release of UFO files.

Representatives from academia also spoke, such as Alexander Wendt, professor of International Security, who spoke on the UFO taboo. Similarly, emeritus professor of sociology, Ron Westrum spoke on how society deals with controversial discoveries. Astronomer and author, Jeffrey Bennett, presented on the scientific search for extraterrestrial life, and Dr. Richard Haines presented UFO investigations of reports from pilots.

Major General Wilfried De Brouwer
Major General Wilfried De Brouwer (Credit: Alejandro Rojas)

Finally, Nancy Talbott spoke on the science of crop circles, and Timothy Good, UK author and researcher, spoke on the history of UFO research.

The gathering was a once in a lifetime chance to visit with officials, military personnel, professors, and other credible researchers from around the world. We got a lot of great interviews and besides this video, will be posting several others focused on the work of some of these incredible people.

Alejandro Rojas

Alejandro Rojas is a radio host for Open Minds Radio, editor and contributing writer for Open Minds magazine as well as OpenMinds.tv. For several years Alejandro was the official spokesperson for the Mutual UFO Network as the Director of Public Education. As a UFO/Paranormal researcher and journalist, Alejandro has spent many hours in the field investigating phenomena up close and personal. Alejandro has been interviewed by media organizations around the world, including the largest cable and network news agencies with several appearances on Coast to Coast AM.

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2 Comments

  1. This really was one of the best organized and group of speakers I have seen in a long time and with any luck will be a great standard for other symposiums looking to get answers and not a circus sideshow.

    If you go to a good conference or symposium do not be afraid to talk about it because thats how we change the culture here in America. Oh, and bring a friend with you and have fun!

  2. In 1980, an evening in October, New Britain, CT, US, about 6:50 PM to 7:20, I witnessed a spectacular UFO which was huge and directly above me. It appeared to be illuminated with white energy or lighting, was formed by concentric circles, one of which was revolving very slowly. Its brilliant light created a cone which extended all around the area, maybe comparable to a football field. Other than the revolving movement, it was absolutely motionless and absolutely silent.

    I had a side-view of it because I was compelled to drive away, up an incline about a mile to the south to join the main road. I stopped again, turned and saw that it had not moved, but was now visible as a dark inverted lampshade form, with the white light streaming from its bottom, and some apertures around the neck of the top of the structure. The glow, which I could now appreciate as to intensity and size, had not changed at all. I left it in that position.

    How I wish I had stayed! I am elderly now, and I want to be able to make an official report of this so that it can be added to the serious data pertaining to UFO sightings. If you cannot help, could you steer me to an agency of the US government, or perhaps an academic institution which is invested in the collection of such data?

    I am a retired professor of music. Thanks. AB

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