Translated material
Letters to the editor
Dear editors!
In this letter we want to describe the unsightly, but apparently little-known events that took place at the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology (ICHT, Krasnoyarsk) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. About the ease with which a very worthy, professional person and scientist was actually kicked out of the Institute, and a successful scientific laboratory was disbanded.
The person we are writing about is Sergei Dmitrievich Kirik, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, head of the laboratory of structural and spectroscopic studies of inorganic substances and materials of this Institute, a specialist in the field of X-ray diffraction analysis, solid state chemistry and materials science, known not only in our country, but and has received recognition from the international scientific community: in 2007 he was awarded a medal by the International Center for Diffraction Data (ICDD) (Pennsylvania, USA) for exceptional contributions to the diffraction standards database and high quality research.
Along with this, he is a professor at the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry of the Siberian Federal University (SFU), the head of graduate and doctoral studies at SFU and the Institute of Chemistry and Chemistry of the SB RAS. Among his students there is 1 doctor and 5 candidates of science. For 10 years he headed the Krasnoyarsk Regional Science Foundation, for his work in organizing which he received gratitude from the regional administration. Under his leadership, several programs to support scientific activities were implemented, including the regional competition RFBR-KKFN “Yenisei”.
He did a lot for the development of chemical technology in our country. A number of processes developed by him and his laboratory are used at the Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant named after. V.N. Gulidov during the production of platinum metal salts. Express diffraction methods for monitoring electrolyte composition developed under his leadership have been introduced and are widely used at aluminum industry enterprises. And these examples can be multiplied. And adding our personal assessment, based on knowing him for decades, he is a very decent and responsible person.
So what did Sergei Dmitrievich do wrong? He agreed to nominate himself for the election of director of the institute, was nominated by 4 laboratories, and did not give way to Doctor of Chemical Sciences. Anshits A.G., acting director of the Institute, but was not supported in the election of director by either the Academic Council or the meeting of scientific employees of the Institute. As a result, the administration of the Institute carried out “the work of eliminating the competitor.” Without going into details of this process, let us summarize its results.
The laboratory of Sergei Dmitrievich Kirik, along with several others, was disbanded. This laboratory of eight full-time researchers with an average age of 39 years, one graduate student and six students, in just the previous year alone, published 18 articles, including in international journals, received five patents and simultaneously had two RFBR grants, grants for integration projects of the SB RAS and the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, contracts with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, etc., which ultimately amounted to approximately 0.5 million rubles each. extrabudgetary funds per laboratory employee.
According to any current criteria for the effectiveness of scientific units in the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it can only be characterized as very successful. But it was disbanded due to... small numbers (while maintaining laboratories with a much smaller number on the staff of the Institute). The position of head of the laboratory was abolished, and S.D. Kirik was asked to transfer to the vacancies available at the institute, among which the position of “industrial premises cleaner” was indicated. It appears that mockery was the main purpose of this proposal. There are several aspects to this story.
We are not concerned here with the formal compliance with the Charter of the Russian Academy of Sciences of the procedures implemented with the participation of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.F. Shabanov, who managed the Institute at that time. and Doctor of Chemical Sciences Anshitsa A.G., during the re-election of the Scientific Council and the disbandment of successful but undesirable laboratories. Let's dwell on what has actually been done. The Scientific Council was reorganized, as a result, the majority in it belongs to representatives of 2 (out of 13) laboratories, one of which is the laboratory of Doctor of Chemical Sciences. A.G. Anshitsa. After this, the new Scientific Council decides to cut 4 undesirable laboratories and redistribute their employees with the dismissal of those who disagree. To define this action, the well-known phrase “raider seizure” seems most suitable. This must be given a worthy assessment, otherwise such “pogroms” may be repeated.
There is another result of this “campaign”, namely: blatant human and professional injustice. A worthy and professional person, who has done and is doing a lot for science in Siberia, is removed from science. And this is not only a big disaster for him personally, but also no less for science - the work that we are all involved in. Therefore, we hope that the leadership of the Siberian Branch will reconsider the results of this “campaign” and will do everything to, at a minimum, not lose to science such people as Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor Sergei Dmitrievich Kirik, as well as employees of unjustifiably disbanded laboratories.
The letter was signed by employees of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences:
A. V. Baklanov, leading researcher at the Institute of Chemical Geography of the SB RAS, professor at NSU, doctor of science. chem. sciences
V. E. Fedorov, chief researcher at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, professor, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Science. chem. sciences
B. V. Zyryanov , Art. Researcher at ICHTM SB RAS, Doctor of Science. chem. sciences
N.F. Uvarov, ch. Researcher at ICHTM SB RAS, Doctor of Science. chem. sciences, professor
ABOUT. Lapina, leading researcher at the Institute of Natural Sciences SB RAS, Doctor of Science. chem. sciences
S. V. Tsybulya, head laboratory of the Institute of Natural Sciences SB RAS, Dr. physics and mathematics sciences
S.V. Korenev, head lab. Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
Yu.I. Aristov, head lab. IC SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
O.A. Holdeeva, leading researcher at the Institute of Natural Sciences SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences
E.P. Talzi, head laboratory of the Institute of Natural Sciences SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
DI. Kochubey, head lab. IC SB RAS, Dr. physics and mathematics sciences
B.N. Plakhutin, leading researcher at the Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. physics and mathematics sciences
V.A. Zakharov, head lab. IC SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
A. V. Belyaev, chief researcher at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
N.M. Bazhin, ch. Researcher, IHKG SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
V. F. Plyusnin, head of the laboratory of the Institute of Chemical Geography of the SB RAS, Dr. chem. sciences, professor
Abbreviations used:
ICHKG SB RAS - Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion SB RAS, Novosibirsk; Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS - Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk; IHTM SB RAS - Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk;
IC SB RAS - Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Novosibirsk.
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“I am not breaking off relations with the institute”
commentary We are publishing Sergei Kirik’s specifically for TrV-Nauka.
My friends compare this situation to a traffic accident. The management of the institute lost control, they flew to the side of the road and hit a man. Of course, you can take the position that a person is also guilty for ending up in this place. They launched a reduction procedure that they themselves could not stop because there were no resources. It turned out to be “nonsense and absurd” - the employee with the highest performance indicators in his work activity was laid off. There are no open claims against him (me). I didn’t make any sudden moves, I just wrote official letters asking them to explain their job prospects. Now I will probably hear people say that it’s my own fault, that I didn’t write an application for transfer. And where to? The menees, engineers or industrial cleaners who were officially offered to me?
I was fired “due to reduction” from my position as head of the laboratory. They could not offer an equivalent or similar (it was not available). Therefore, it was necessary to simply terminate the employment relationship. I did not agree to dismissal “of my own free will,” which was a secret calculation. Like, he will be afraid of the unknown, the uncertainty, and we will promise to arrange... In principle, there were violations during my layoff, but they were procedural, they could have been avoided.
A rare situation, but I am the director of two RFBR grants (one is ordinary, the other is “ofi”). They immediately began to threaten: “We’ll send the money back” (they still haven’t let me spend a penny!). Since the work was done, there is something to report on. I feel sorry for people. I said that I would apply for an extra-budgetary position (using grant money). Okay, so far the court and the case have been completed, the contract has been completed since December 1st. Suddenly there was a hysterical cry throughout the institute: “Kirik refused!” (that day I went to the university). I'm coming. What's happened? It turns out that it was stated verbally that I would be employed on November 23, but in the contract I wrote on December 1! Well, that’s right, because you also need to provide a certificate from your permanent place of work. It turned out that I had violated their ability to say that I had never been unemployed for a single day. It’s unpleasant, but I rewrote everything.
I went to an appointment with the rector of the Siberian Federal University, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeniy Vaganov. He told me that very broad prospects are now opening up for contacts between the university and industry. There are Norilsk Nickel, Rusal, Rosneft, and much more. There is chemistry everywhere. There is an extreme shortage of specialists. (Of course, this is politics, not work in a laboratory.) We decided to get a permanent job and work. He said that “we’ll pull up your people, because they all come from Siberian Federal University.” There are not enough personnel, and they need to be rejuvenated.
I would like to note that, despite the tiny laboratory and the fact that I am a specialist from a completely different field, with Norilsk Nickel we are working on sorbents based on mesoporous materials for the refining process (separation of platinum and palladium). Together with Rusal we are currently working on an inert anode and new electrolytes. For Rosneft there are proposals for “generic” catalysts based on the work of Ruslan Mulagaleyev. Any of these topics are very significant.
I am not breaking off relations with the institute. I worked here for about thirty years, and my dislike for the so-called “raiders” does not extend to the employees and, in general, to the institution.
All this time I felt the support of many of my friends both in Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk. People from my laboratory are always with me. All this gave reason to largely rethink the situation. Look at it from a different height. The main conclusion: after all, the world is structured in such a way that there is more goodness and decency. Otherwise it is impossible to build and move forward.
PS (from the editor).
The TrV-Nauka newspaper is ready to listen to the point of view of the other side of the conflict.