Translated material
Spring Ping Pong
The beginning of spring was marked by the unexpectedly waited vitk of the conflict between the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science.
It all started with publication at Kommersant on March 21, 2013. In the material of Alexander Chernykh, it was reported that “Yesterday, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov at the departmental collegium summed up the results of his first year as the minister. He made it clear that he would continue to reduce independence of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). For this, he will create his own alternative scientific organization - a council from "scientists of capable age." Academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences believe that this will lead to the split of the scientific world [1].
On the same day, on the Internet portal of Rossiy Gazeta, one could read a refutation of journalist Yuri Medvedev: “A real shock caused scientists today's publication in one of the central newspapers. The correspondent of the RG also attended the same college, but he did not hear anything like this from the mouth of the minister. It seems that the correspondent of the "sensational" publication and I were at different colleges. Nevertheless, the RG turned to the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science for the commentary. She confirmed that the collegium was not talking about the creation of any organization, alternative RAS. In fact, only the Public Council for Science under the Minister will be created. Its main task is the examination of various solutions in the field of science. Not more than that ”[2].
The refutation of the "RG" could not extinguish the conflict. On the same day, March 21, several more expressive statements were published. Thus, the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady month in response to the rain set by him the situation between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education and Science answered this way: “I don’t see a special war here, except that the Minister of Education regularly falls into some strange situations because of his strange unheated character, absolutely impenetrated issues and never discussed with anyone. Today's published remark that it is necessary to collect advice from capable scientists was made at the collegium of the ministry. I would say that you need to change one letter: the advice needs to be created from capable scientists so that people have ideas. ” He also drew attention to the low financing of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “We have 10 billion dollars for all science - space, ecology, fundamental physics ... Of these, only $ 2 billion is in the wounds. The budget of the American Academy is $ 140 billion ”[3].
D. Livanov once again outlined his position to the Rain television channel: “Today, the Academy of Sciences degrades, from the point of view of scientific productivity, from the point of view of age, the point of view of the quality of management that is there. It is impossible for people to impose some bright future. It may be possible, but we know that it always ends badly. I will not do this for sure, I reserve the right to express my position ... But I think that the scientific community itself will play a key role in making a decision on the model of the future, not people who today monopolized the right to speak on behalf of scientists, but scientists themselves ”[4].
D. Livanov’s complaints were also supported by the bioinformatist Mikhail Gelfand: “... they was outlined by the brand, profiled, the Academy of Sciences is not perceived as a serious authoritative organization. After these bastards went to Petrik, and then the other bastards did not even scold these bastards, the Academy of Sciences turned into a joke. The second claim is an organization that itself puts forward a scientific project, then he knocks money on it itself, then distributes it itself, then decides whether to work well or not, a difficult conflict of interest. People who distribute money and receive money should be different ”[5].
A different point of view was presented by a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Galchenko: “, since once in May we will conduct a rotation at the Academy, change the presidium. Everyone understands this, maybe for five years they lingered a little, but there are a lot of all circumstances. But to blame the Academy and eliminate it, as the Minister of Education wants, I think, is not worth it. It is easy to destroy, then it will have to be created again for many years. This structure is established, working ”[5].
Once again, D. Livanov spoke about his attitude to the Russian Academy of Sciences in the transfer of the Echo of Moscow radio station on Sunday on March 24: “... this form of organization of science in the 21st century is hopeless. She will not live, she is not viable. But she lives with us. And this life, it will last for some time. Maybe for a long time, maybe short. What depends on me, I will do in order for this situation to change. But now we have no specific plans, since this is really a very serious matter, these are such deep processes and this, in general, is actually serious money. Because to rebuild the system that is, very ineffective, unfriendly in relation to the people who work there, and. In general, non-modern, archaic requires very serious resources. This does not come down only to administrative procedures ”[6].
In turn, on Tuesday, March 26, academics turned to D. Livanov with an “open telegram”. “We consider your behavior unacceptable for the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and demand your public apology to the RAS employees. We reserve the right to demand your resignation from the post of minister, ”wrote academics [7].
On the same day, Dmitry Livanov apologized for his words about the unwillingness and futility of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “If my words said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow radio station offended one of the scientists working at the Russian Academy of Sciences, then I sincerely regret it, I apologize,” he said. According to him, he very respects people who are engaged in a high level in Russia, wherever they work - in RAS, universities, industry institutions.
According to RG, Dmitry Livanov also stated that he considers the conditions "who are created in the Russian Academy of Sciences for scientists working at a high level completely insufficient for their effective work." According to the minister, "in general, the system of organizing the work of scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences is not modern and effective, does not comply with world standards." Livanov believes that “the leadership of the Russian Academy of Sciences is responsible for this” [8].
The reaction of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences to Livanov’s words was restrained and unpleasant. The RAS website says that "in the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov is accepted in the Russian Academy of Sciences, but scientists do not believe in the sincerity of the Minister of Education." The opinions of G. Month, A. Nekipelov and V. Fortov are also given. The latter, in particular, reacted like this: “I apologized - very good. Probably these apologies will be accepted. We are uninhabited, although we also have our opinion: we cannot question the capacity of the hundred thousandth team of our scientists. One conversation, if with these apologies the problem goes into the past, the other - if not. In this case, we will have to continue the discussion, although we are not supporters of confrontation, especially with the involvement of the media ”[9].
The new round of the conflict flared up on March 27, 2013, when academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences Zhores Alfierov and Vladimir Fortov announced his decision to leave the Public Council under the Ministry of Education and Science. As noted in the note of the same A. Chernya, from the publication of which the scandal erupted earlier, in the Kommersant newspaper, “the first in an open letter accused Minister Dmitry Livanov of trying to disagree with the Russian Academy of Sciences and university science, the second announced disagreement with the criticism of the Minister of the Academy.” At the same time, the publication gives an anonymous expert comment, who believes that “a demonstration exit from the Ministry of Council will give Zhores Alferov and Vladimir Fortov there are many supporters in the elections of the head of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which will take place this spring. Both academicians have already announced their intention to run for their own ”[10].
On March 29, a message appeared on the academic site from academician J.I. Alferov that “RAS did not receive specific measures from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for the time that this department was headed by Dmitry Livanov” [11].
The pre -election race to the presidency of the Russian Academy of Sciences, apparently, has already begun. Recall that the elections of the new head of the Academy of Sciences will be held on May 29, 2013.
From the editorial office. We thank A. Samokhin for the help in the preparation of the material.
1. Www.kommersant.ru/doc/2150729
2. Www.rg.ru/2013/03/21/ran-site-anons.html
4. Http://tvrain.ru/articles/dmitrij_ livanov_segodnja_akademija_nauk_degradirut-33055
5. Http://tvrain.ru/articles/ministr_ livanov_hochet_novyh_uchenyh_deesposobnyh-339262
6. Http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/assembly/1035414-echo/
7. Www.rg.ru/2013/03/26/pismo-site.html
8. Www.rg.ru/2013/03/26/livanov-site-anons.html
9. Www.ras.ru/news/shownews.aspx?id=3a2c632D-4959-44DB-A368-4BDE98333BCBF
10. Www.kommersant.ru/doc/2156098?themeid=285
11. Www.ras.ru/news/shownews.aspx?id=2f4a11cc-b9c2-4758-AB5C-31F273DA3949