“I almost became an academician myself”

Our correspondent in Belgium could be in company with Sergey Komkov, a member of the European Academy of Informatization

It happened in 2002. I don’t remember why I ended up at the Russian trade mission in Belgium (they had a good beer bar there). The trade representative, the kind fat man Viktor Vasilievich Ivliev, seeing me, joyfully exclaimed: “That’s who you need to accept into your academy!” There were two people with him - an employee of the trade mission Vladimir Evreinov and his father, who introduced himself as academician Eduard Evreinov.

I was immediately invited to a meeting of the European Informatization Academy at the County House Hotel, known as the “duty hotel” of the Russian embassy. “Go, at least you can dine in a restaurant for free,” Ivliev winked (as it turned out later, he was also a “grand doctor” and one of the leaders of the academy, as well as a modest employee of the trade mission, Vladimir Evreinov).

I was introduced as "the doyen of Russian journalists in Brussels". A level or at least a nice title was needed, since the whole idea of an "academy" is based on status and splurge.

At the next meeting, two Serbs from Belgrade were awarded the titles of “grand doctor” and “grand lady” (a new scientific qualification invented by the academy). I didn’t go there anymore, I didn’t get an academician, and I didn’t hear anything further about the academy. In Belgium, it is known only to a narrow circle of the founders themselves and officials, to whom it gives a headache. Her client was exclusively Russian (or Belarusian, Turkmen, etc.).

The authority of the European Academy of Informatization was ensured by the name of Evreinov Eduard Vasilievich, “the author of the first Soviet computer, an academician of many international academies, a professor, a laureate of international awards, a laureate of the Lenin Prize No. 2 (1957)”, etc.

The founders, "academicians" and "grand doctors" indicate that the academy "was established on September 19, 1999 by Decree of King Albert II of the Belgians." In fact, everything is easier. With the help of a local lawyer, the founders of the academy obtained the status of a legal entity for it in Belgium. To do this, it is enough to compose a charter with noble goals (say, saving Congolese butterflies), submit an application to the administration, pay money (if I am not mistaken, in this case, about 1500 euros) and wait for publication in the official bulletin Moniteur Belge. The entire page of the ballot is formally signed by the king. The European Academy, as well as other ASBLs (societies without profit), were sent an extract signed by an adviser to the Ministry of Justice. It is the “academicians” who present it as a special royal decree.

Further - more: "The selection of members of the Academy is carried out taking into account the opinion of the European Parliament, the European Commissions, on the basis of the opinions of experts from major scientific organizations of the world."

The dossier contains the only response from an official of the European Commission (not "European Commissions") to a letter asking for support. The usual bureaucratic reply: if you agree with your goals, go for it. But academics talk about patronage, participation, control by the leading institutions of the EU... It looks like a forgery.

In Belgium, the press about four years ago wrote about this strange academy registered in the kingdom. The general conclusion is unequivocal: panama. This is what Americans call "diploma factories". For several years, she handed out hundreds of diplomas to those who did not even sleep next to science. There are especially many State Duma deputies and Russian officials at the federal and regional levels among the doctors.

The Academy of Informatization has about 15 thousand academicians and corresponding members, among them the academician of the "big" academy Yevgeny Primakov, Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General), ex-mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Zurab Tsereteli, the late Patriarch Alexy II ... - easier , probably, to name those from the Russian political elite who are not listed.

The list includes the former "Turkmenbashi" Saparmurat Niyazov, who was awarded the title of academician "for his contribution to democracy in Turkmenistan", a certain Evdokia Marchenko, the founder of the totalitarian sect "Radasteya", and other exotic characters.

Eduard Evreinov admitted in an interview that his academy did not issue a single diploma to the Belgians (they do not take it) and was not accredited by the Belgian authorities.

In recent years, the activities of the academy have not been heard in Belgium. I tried to go to her website at the address indicated on the website of one of the "academicians" Sergey Valentinovich Petukhov, but the computer replied: "Little problem ... Google Chrome could not find the page: www.euro-academy.org."

Then I went to Rikzansar at the legal address of the academy. I didn’t find any sign at 15 Rue Du Monastere, and it’s not customary here to knock on a private house without prior arrangement...