The reference to Grothendieck and Hilbert don't seem to be about establishing something like an 'axiomatic basis', but about having a leader who can organize a

The reference to Grothendieck and Hilbert don't seem to be about establishing something like an 'axiomatic basis', but about having a leader who can organize a platform of modernization in the field. They both lead programs. That's about as far as the thinking goes on that one, I suspect.