“It’s no longer enough to leave science alone”

The critical situation in which the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP) finds itself requires decisive and immediate action. However, before moving on to clarifying the causes of the crisis, it is necessary to say a few words about what ITEP is and why such an institute (and very few others like it) is needed in modern Russia.

First of all, ITEP is a community of people who are carriers of unique knowledge in the field of fundamental physics; and this science created the modern world as it is. ITEP is international relations with dozens of the largest scientific centers in the world, it is prestige, it is the face of Russian science, it is a statement of our involvement in world progress; This is, finally, one of the very few organizations that a self-respecting state should be proud of. ITEP is a scientific school where scientists actively working in their field pass on their knowledge (from hand to hand, that’s the only way!) to the next generations, who will pass it on. Why does the state need this? Our proclaimed era of “getting up from our knees” implies a transition from a time when everything can be bought to a time when the most modern must be created ourselves. This can only be done based on fundamental knowledge. The islands of this knowledge are melting! If we delay today, there will be nothing to rely on tomorrow. Tomorrow rockets will stop flying and reactors will stop working, no advances will simply be introduced, without fundamental knowledge a generation will grow up that can only press buttons - and it has already grown up.

Moving on to the problems of the current catastrophic situation of ITEP, it is necessary to say about what the basis of fundamental science is based on - about the scientific school. On the one hand, the school is teachers who have the opportunity to actively work in their fields of science; on the other hand, these are apprentices, students and graduate students who are not only interested, but also attractive to work in their chosen industry. The crisis of fundamental science (using the example of our Institute) is chronic, the source of which is underfunding of the industry and shamefully low wages. This drove many, many: some abroad, some into trade. Today, the chain of generations that creates a scientific school has been strained to a dangerous level. The crisis is long-standing, but the reasons that cause it are not the same at different times. In the 90s, the origins of the plight of science (and our Institute) were clear: the state had no money. In the 21st century, the price of oil has risen, funds have appeared, and every year the simply wild underestimation of the role of fundamental science on the part of the state becomes more and more noticeable, more and more blatant. Scientists are increasingly finding themselves on the margins of life, both in terms of their standard of living, in the attitude of the state towards them, and in the prestige of their work in the eyes of young people. A salesperson, an official, a security guard - this is prestigious, attractive, but science - who needs it?

Despite all this, the Institute largely survived and managed to maintain its scientific potential and international prestige. However, in the last 5-6 years, the already disastrous situation has been significantly aggravated by a series of ill-conceived (or, on the contrary, well-thought-out) administrative actions. At first, under the guise of strengthening the leadership, a landing party of very specific figures was sent, with the goal of directly seizing the territory. Somehow we dealt with them, but with losses: some of the youth left, because they don’t need to fight, but plan their lives. Another loss was the instilled dominance of officials at the Institute: the role of the scientific worker was reduced to the role of a humiliated supplicant between offices. In the same row, alien to the Institute, is the current director Yu.F., imposed from above. Kozlov, who in more than a year of work has never tried to find out how the Institute he leads lives. Purely administrative and unfriendly actions to include ITEP in the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” are of particular concern. The best school in high energy physics and elementary particle physics in Russia has been created and is still alive at ITEP; however, according to the ridiculous plan of the leaders of the Research Center, this is exactly what our physicists should not do, they will have completely different areas of activity. This obvious harmful stupidity has not been overcome for a long time. Obviously, this is exactly what will destroy the Institute completely. The last straw was the requirement imposed by the same Research Center to sign new employment agreements with a base salary (for a researcher!) of less than 6 thousand rubles.

The prevailing opinion among the ITEP scientific community is that it has been decided to destroy the Institute. It is unlikely that the state leadership sets such a task; rather, there is simply not enough breadth of vision, an understanding that, despite the importance of today’s problems, we cannot shoot at tomorrow! The science that our Institute represents is no longer enough to simply be left alone - it must be pursued carefully and tirelessly, and it must be helped to survive with all our might. We must look for solutions together with ITEP scientific leaders; perhaps ITEP should be transferred to the RAS. In any case, the problems of fundamental science cannot be solved without the scientists themselves, and this must be started immediately, now; tomorrow will be too late.

Alas, for the state that is proud of its natural resources (“Gazprom is the pride of Russia”). The real source of pride is the country's intellectual potential. The layer of its guardians - the thinnest, humiliated, spat upon - is still alive in the depths of institutions such as ITEP, but there are very, very few of them. The policy of rulers who do not want to look into tomorrow is shameful. Just as every victory has its authors, so every defeat must have them. Are our duumvirs, Messrs. Putin and Medvedev want the glory of destroying what has been created by generations? And this will be their glory.

Vladimir Rusinov,
senior researcher ITEP