About the ear and aquarium

Perhaps my main conclusion from the conference was that our scientific diaspora is not united and very fragmented. Journalists, Scientists and organizers of science should not perceive it as a single community, and moreover, as a kind of moral authority. The range of life trajectories of the diaspora representatives is very different-from the cynical pragmatism “money in exchange for science”, “from the lousy sheep at least the wool” to the unwillingness to deal with anything remotely similar to corruption and “cut”.

Representatives of the diaspora are very different people, with their motivation, ethical values, and this was brightly revealed during living and extremely interesting discussions on June 2425. Even at such a small conference, uniting only 43 people from the diaspora (there were about 130 participants in total), sometimes diametrically opposite answers to important questions sounded.

So, at the very beginning, scientists did not agree on whether magazines are needed in Russian. “The international language of science is English. Dot. You can print articles even to Suahili, but the international language of science is English. All! The discussion is over, ” said Maxim Frank-Kamenetsky, professor of Boston University, tired of disputes.

At the same time, the professor of the Kurantovsk Institute of Mathematical Sciences Fedor Bogomolov noted that, of course, “English is needed. But the dominant of English-speaking civilization has been going on from the 50s. Before that there was a German language. That society, about integration into which we speak, is unstable. It is not clear what will happen in ten years. Maybe everyone will have to teach Chinese? ”

In turn, Assistant is a professor at the University of Rice and V.N.S. Mian Alexander Bufetov agreed that English is an international language of science, but called for a look into the eyes of reality. Mathematics cannot write an article on English, and therefore their first publications appear in Russian scientific journals. At the same time, there is an example of the Moscow Mathematical Journal, which is extremely successful, its impact factor is growing, and articles are published there only in English. He also drew attention to the fact that until the 1960s all important scientific monographs were translated into Russian, "now there is nothing like that, and this again creates difficulties for students who do not know the language whether we want it or do not want it."

Andrei Simonov, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Michigan (USA), who also gives lectures in RASH, I am sure that magazines with a low level of citation must be closed. “We must be very open about this. Let's forget about messengers and other non -injected publications. ... Chicago University closed his magazine, since he could not become the issue of 1, ” he emphasized.

Anatoly Vershik, the chief researcher at the St. Petersburg Branch of the MI RAS, admitted that Russian magazines in mathematics used to be a high level, have now become weaker, and he believes that "the participation of our diaspora in Russian publications is very important." “The success of the mathematical sciences”, “Functional analysis” and other magazines lack good articles, especially modern reviews, especially since there are few books in Russian, and our libraries are almost not bought by foreign publications. “It's not even that students do not know the language, but that they have nothing to read,” he remarked.

In several speeches, the speakers noted that all Russian scientists need a new scientific library that would work to overcome the isolation of students and scientists from international science, cooperate with Western publishers, universities, scientists, would buy and ask for books and magazines. The opinions were made that many Western publishers agree to send scientific literature to Russia for free, they just do not know who.

The attitude to megagers - the new project of the Ministry of Education and Science, which was given on June 25, on the second day of the conference, also split the participants in the discussion. According to the professor of mathematical physics of the University of California in Berkeley Nikolai Reshetikhin, who, at least for me, became the opening of this conference (I will now listen to his voice), the conditions of the competition themselves are such that "for the state is insulting." 1 month is given for the preparation of the application, for the examination -another, while the amount of the grant is $ 5 million for 5 years, and the total amount of all grants is -12 billion rubles. “Everything that I heard good about the Russian distribution system of grants is the RFFF, but for some reason, financing is reduced,” N. Reshetikhin noted.

He also allowed himself to note that after the materials published in the media about the incident of Gryzus-Petrik, the State Duma speaker “in the Netherlands would be in prison. In Denmark, most likely, he would be in prison, and that would end his political career. In the United States, he would also resign "for family reasons." In China, I don’t even want to think what would happen to him ... And with us - she calmly continues to work. ”

Participants in the discussion drew attention to the fact that the project of megagrators has an incomprehensible examination. Only the composition of the Council for Grants of the Russian Federation was declared, but it is not clear what the composition of expert councils. The director of the Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science Sergei Ivansu had to answer many tough questions on the new project and all the previous ones. Why are the conditions of the competition such? Who worked on a new project? Why did not scientists ask? All discussion was limited to the fact that the officials of the Ministry of Education and Science consulted with other officials from the Ministry of Finance. Why are there no foreign scientists in the Council for Grants? One of the conference participants, the financial director of the EUSPB Svetlana Lavrova, noted that, in her opinion, the entire chain of the new project “Ministry of Investigation -Scientific Group” contains a large number of taxes not taken into account (in particular, income tax). "All the money will go to taxes?" - So summed up her fears by another colleague. In response, information was made that since 2011, educational institutions would allegedly be exempted from income tax and that megagrators will not fall under the FZ-94.

Tough requirement - in 20112012. The winner of the project must spend 4 months a year in the total way in Russia - also caused criticism. “I can’t only 4 months, I can only 3”, approximately such a letter (its exact text, see http://eefimov.livejournal.com/321231.html ) Professor of Biomedicine engineering of the University of Washington (St. Louis, USA) Igor Efimov, a participant in the conference, sent D. Medvedeva, V. Medvedeva, V. Surkov and A. Dvorkovich. The Laureate of the Field Prize, mathematician Efim Zelmanov noted that representatives of the diaspora can not always spend months in Russia, and sometimes only 2-3 weeks. In turn, the microbiologist, professor of the University of Ratger Konstantin Severinov, according to the experience of the 5-year leadership of the two laboratories in Moscow, said that without the personal participation of the project leader and his long-term stay, nothing would work out here (seeing his speech, see http://slon.ru/articles/416536 ).

Participants were divided in their attitude to associations uniting representatives of the diaspora. So, I. Efimov, Vice President of the race (International Association of Russian-speaking scientists, www.dumaem-po-russki.org ), had to listen to a sharp criticism of his organization. The beginning of the speech of S. Ivanets only added oil into the fire. It seemed that by cooperation with the race, the ministry meant all the cooperation with the diaspora. The main reproach to the race was that it represents only a small part of domestic scientists abroad, but both sides (race and ministry) pretend that thousands of other scientists do not seem to exist. On the sidelines, colleagues also talked about how actively they were persuaded to join the race (especially those who signed a letter to the President of the Russian Federation), but having learned that the main success of this organization is supposedly kept in a long -standing friendship between the President of RASA V. Safarov and the Minister of Education and Science A. Fursenko, they preferred to evade this cooperation for ethical considerations.

During his report at the conference, I. Efimov said that this association now includes about 200 members, while membership is completely voluntary. The organization has two branches in Europe and the USA. The purpose of the race is personal affairs, the exchange of experience, assistance to students, etc. Members of the race are private guests in Russia; Conferences in the country and abroad are held at their own expense. Moreover, these meetings are more fruitful in the provinces, and not in the capitals. The next conference in Russia will be held in Belgorod (the previous one took place in Tomsk), and in October 2010 the 3rd conference of the race members will be held in the United States, to which Igor invited everyone to.

Some of the scientists vividly responded to the call of the founder of the Dynasty Foundation Dmitry Zimin to speak out on the theme of “spies” scientists. “They believe you, they listen to you, your word is very important,” he said, addressing the representatives of the diaspora. He reminded of the article by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Ryzhov and Ernst Cherny “Do not return” ( www.ej.ru/?a=note&id=9960 ), in which the authors wondered if those compatriots who want to return to Russia should not first “collectively demand from the Russian government of the unconditional exemption and rehabilitation ... innocently condemned ... colleagues? "

Perhaps the scientists working in Russia are inconvenient to speak on these topics. "But you can talk about it!" - exclaimed D. Zimin. In his opinion, the discussions going to conferences were more reduced to discussing material problems. Is it really important? Maybe this topic - the persecution of scientists - actually does not bother anyone? “I really want to get rid of a sense of shame because of what is happening in the country,” said Dmitry Borisovich.

The call of Zimin was heard, and this topic of scientists, “spies” no, no, and sounded in performances. It was proposed to touch on this topic in the final resolution of the conference (however, no final document was adopted, the work on it only began). At the same time, in some speeches there was a noticeable desire to get away from political topics, it may be from the realization that it is difficult to change something for the better in this matter. So, Konstantin Severinov noted that our country is too big to be “aggregatedly ashamed of it. There is a process over Khodorkovsky, but there is a dynasty fund. ” He said that he was a supporter of the idea of ​​“small deeds”. Other participants spoke about the success of private projects independent of the state.

“I had the opportunity to tell President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev about what D.B. Zimin. I handed him a letter, then signed by V.L. Ginzburg, ” said Leonid Gozman, emphasizing that he was acting on this occasion not as a representative of Ros Nano, but as a private person. He clarified that he could not convey the exact response of the president, as this would violate the confidentiality of the conversation. But, summarizing what he heard, Gozman concluded that D. Medvedev was ready to answer the question about scientists “spies”, and Leonid could have been understood as follows: this answer would hardly be pleased.

According to L. Goman, “no of our“ trembling ”will help, they will not reduce the term, they can only increase. But “fluttering” is absolutely necessary. It is necessary, first of all, to those who are in prison. I hope that God has been drawing us to experience the charms of a Russian prison. ” He is sure that “our“ trepidation ”increases the chance that our colleagues will leave prison at the appointed time and sub -terminated. Their safety in prison is determined by your interest in them. ”

The conference also spoke about the conceptual issues of the relationship between Russia and domestic scientists abroad. Valery Yakubovich, sociologist, Associate professor of the Worton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized that there is a “huge shortage of trust between the two worlds - the diaspora and the metro. They immediately ask: what is your interest? What and who cuts it? ” He believes that it is necessary not only to call the diaspora to Russia, but also to go to the meeting himself, creating in the West Russian scientific centers with which leading scientists in various fields cooperate.

Alexander Vinogradov, professor of the faculty of physical, mathematical and natural sciences (Universita 'Degli Studi Di Salerno) noted: the difference between the diaspora is that it consists of free people, so it is freer in criticism and proposals. A diaspora needs a certain coordinating center. Then the diaspora can put pressure on the government, may offer the ideas of reform that will already be heard as the opinion of an authoritative organization. He compared the future of Russian science with a complex differential equation in private derivatives.

The greatest concern among the audience, perhaps, caused a certain meaninglessness of what was happening. “We will tell a friend to a friend about what we agree with and do not agree with. And what? ” - my companions complained on the way from the conference, at breakfast in the hotel, etc. Rector of Rash Sergey Guriev, noticed that “ our discussion is not pointless. There is nothing more important than developing a common vision. If we develop, then find resources and people. ” “A public discussion is capable of a lot,” he said. He also said that new projects may only be implemented after 5 years and that we need to look for the organizers who could bring these projects to life.

“Our conference would have to take place 10-15 years ago, and now we have a very difficult task-to turn the ear into the aquarium. Of course, we are not yet in the ear, but somewhere close. I do not prophesy, I am by nature an optimist, but our science has difficult prospects, ” Anatoly Versik said in the conclusion of the first day of the conference. It seems that the problem also is that many living fish from the Western aquarium risk in Russia to become part of the same soup.

A list of colleagues in a common photo in the article “The Way of“ Little Development ”, or brief notes about the past conference” :

In the front row from left to right: V. Shiltsev, I. Efimov, L. Borkin, A. Nomerotsky, F. Bogomolov. In the second row: A. Zeitlin, K. Severinov, A. Arabin. In the third row: A. Vinogradov, V. Shevchenko, K. Shmakov, A. Bufetov, G. Yaroslav-Idov, N. Demin, A. Vershik. In the fourth row: A. Kostinsky, V. Volkov, A. Yurchak, O. Kharkhordin. In the fifth row: A. Simonov, V. Kasatkin, M. Sorokina, E. Zelmanov, S. Fomin. In the sixth row: V. Izhutkin, Ya. Fedorov, A. Mirlin, A. Gorsky, E. Zer, V. Yakubovich, A. Shmartsev, B. Firsov. In the seventh row: A. Timkovsky, Yu. Slovkin, B. Kolonitsky, M. Klimenko, S. Lando, A. Omelchenko. In the eighth row: K. Sonin, V. Chernozhukov, I. Fedyukin, A. BRAVERMAN, I. Dezhin, N. Reshetikhin, M. Gelfand, A. Alder, M. Frank-Kamenetsky, S. Guriev, S. Smirnov, V. Zubok, A. Pyotrovskaya, D. Chelkak, O. Orlova, D. Zimin, M. Sokolov, G. Derlugyan, I. Yakutenko, I. Yakutenko, I. Yakutenko, I. Yakutenko, I. L. Gozman, N. Vakhtin, E. Ruleva.