Respect yourself

Efim Khazanov , Dok. physical. sciences, member-corr. RAS, deputy. Director of the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professor of the Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky, analyzes the situation on the eve of the general meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, appointed at the end of March 2014.

It is approaching, as it is written in the scandalous law, the “first” general collection of the new RAS. This meeting will complete the liquidation process of the old RAS. The fact that this is precisely the liquidation, and no reform, I already wrote [1, 2]. This meeting is still ahead, but it is already obvious that there will be no decisions that lie outside the fairway of the government course, so you can summarize and think about the next stage.

Harvesting

The entry of the law, the emergence and beginning of the work of the Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations (Fano) did not clarify the most important question: what was the purpose of the liquidation of the Russian Academy of Sciences. However, the hypothesis was finally confirmed that this story has nothing to do with the development of science in Russia. A lot said that in the notorious law there is almost nothing about science, more and more about property and titles.

The created Fano is not going to engage in science either - his destiny, property, etc. Science is clearly removed from the Ministry of Education and Science: a significant part of the financing was transferred to the RSF, the institutes of the former three academies did not go to the ministry. They had not previously subordinated to the ministry, but before this was explained by the fact that the institutions were subordinate to the academies that were outside the government. Now, hundreds of institutions leading fundamental research and publish more than half of the Russian articles in WOS magazines are directly subject to the government, but no one is responsible for the scientific work of these institutions in the government - neither Fano nor the Ministry of Education and Science.

The newly created RAS should engage in the scientific guidance of these institutions, but this is only a declaration. It is clear that the Club of Scientists cannot really lead the institutions, having neither financial nor administrative resources. The mention of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has been preserved in the names of the institutions, is certainly useful for preserving the brands of institutions, but nothing more. Thus, a three -headed vertical (Ministry of Education and Science, Fano, RAS) was created, in which no one is responsible for science. Previously, the wounds of the Russian Federation was responsible for scientific research in its institutes. The competence of management left much to be desired, and the state allocated crumbs, but still, the wounds could do and did something.
Now no one is responsible for the fundamental science in the country. Was it worth it to start this whole story with the elimination of wounds if the hell is not sweeter? The answer is simple: it was not worth it if the goal was the development of science and the creation of the best conditions for (who have not yet left); And at the same time, it was worth it if the goal was in the plane of academic property and personal resentments of individual citizens of the Russian Federation on other citizens of the Russian Federation.

About the absence of the notorious law of a publicly declared author (he is the initiator, ideologist, beneficiary - any word for your choice) did not write only the lazy. The author has not yet appeared to the light, but this does not mean that there is no author, this only means that we do not know him. I don’t think that this secret will be able to keep this secret for a long time, but so far it is still a secret, and to show yourself to the light is the matter of honor of the author of the venture. Without knowing the author, we do not know the goals that he set for himself. However, judging by the fact that “to correct the law” and even more so, no one is going to give him back, the author is satisfied with the results.

Fano's debut

Now we are watching the very active actions of the newly created fan. These actions cause conflicting impressions. They resemble the work of the juggler who lost control of the balls, but has not yet dropped a single one. All his actions and thoughts are aimed at catching a ball, which is currently closest to the floor. He does not have the opportunity to think about how he will catch the next ball, about where to throw the ball that he had in his hands, and even more so that his number was to, juggling, jumping onto the side of the arena and passing a circle with his back forward. Of course, from the agency created from scratch, which should ensure the work of thousands of various organizations, it is difficult to expect something more.

Another thing is important. Such work emphasizes once again that no one thought at the stage of creating the law about the normal work of the former institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, RAMS and RAM. Otherwise, by October, the functioning of the agency itself would have already been debugged and all issues of the transfer of cases, people, institutions and other organizations in Fano would be thought out.

But the main thing that worries is not a bureaucratic confusion of the transition period at all. The main thing is that it is still not clear-what is the purpose of transferring institutions to Fano. Former institutes and organizations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, RAMS, RAMS - this is a huge product composition consisting of a variety of wagons that carry oil, forest, cars, gravels, etc. It is impossible to stop it - people should go to work and receive a salary. And it is obvious that stopping, it will be difficult to get a move again. And so we observe how all the cargoes of this composition on the move are overloaded to another composition, called Fano, which goes along a parallel rut. This work is architecting, and you can even sympathize with Fano employees, but scientists do not cause sympathy for scientists, but bewilderment for a banal reason: no one worked out to explain what a new track is better than the old one, and, most importantly, where it leads.

Ministry of Education and Science

As mentioned above, the ministry, having not received former institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which clearly expected, was in a strange position: for science in the country it was necessary to answer, and the institutions are subordinate to the fan, from which there is no demand for science. Again, it would be possible to sympathize with the minister, who had so zealously promoting the law and remaining out of work. At the same time, it is not necessary to count on the fact that the ministry is seriously concerned about science. Recently published lists of expert councils of the Higher Attestation Commission, including a large number of disset customers, demonstrate that the ministry is very far from science and from the principles and traditions adopted in the scientific environment. You can read more about this, for example, here [2].

Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Unfortunately, the leadership of the Russian Academy of Sciences is now concerned not so much by science and researchers as to fit into the new management landscape (more precisely non -administration) by science. In the current realities, this is partly natural - employees of the institutes are now former employees of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and their concerns and aspirations outside the jurisdiction of the Presidium. Recently, the abstracts of the project of the Charter of the New RAS, proposed by academician Valery Rubakov [4], were published in the Trv-hunger [4]. This project, not contradicting the letter of the law, significantly smooths out its destructive action.

In particular, in it the new RAS consists of three independent academies with its charters, presidiums, common meetings, etc. Members of the General Assembly of the Russian Academy of Sciences are not only members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but also representatives of institutes. As far as I can judge, these and other ideas laid down in this charter did not find a response either in the authorized commission or the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The reason, apparently, is related to fears that the government will not approve such a charter. These fears are more than justified, but the adoption of the toothless charter, which meets not only the letter, but also the spirit of the law, will finally turn wounds into a club, devoid of not only powers, but also authority. I will be glad to make a mistake, but at the end of March we are waiting for the “first” general meeting of the new RAS, which will record this status.

Conference

Recently, the organizing committee of the conference of scientists decided to hold the second session of the conference [5] on the eve of the “first” general meeting of the new RAS. The first session of the conference, held on the eve of the last general meeting of the Old Railways, was mainly devoted to the struggle with the then not yet adopted law. Unfortunately, the general meeting did not listen to the decision of the conference, nevertheless, the conference created the corresponding attitude at least with some members of the general meeting. There is no doubt that this time she will create an appropriate mood.

The main goal of the second session I do not see this. The main goal is to qualitatively change the direction of self -organization of people who want to engage in science in Russia. First of all, these are employees of former institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, RAMS and ROSHN. The creation and development of public organizations uniting scientists began even before the notorious law, but then their activity was observed in those areas where the leadership of the academies was too passively, conservatively, etc. Accordingly, the number of organizations and scientists involved in their activities was not so great.

Now the main leitmotif was not the replenishment of gaps in the management of science, but the organization of this management - for self -organizing structures, the task is very difficult. As mentioned above, scientists have now increased the bosses, but no one is responsible for science: the seven nannies have a child without eye. The child is already quite reasonable and does not want to remain without eye. Hence the heyday of public organizations, generally speaking, little characteristic of the scientific environment: the most scientists are mostly enthusiastic about science and reluctantly interrupted from their favorite business. Fearing to forget someone and offend, I will not list these organizations.

The conference of scientists is not just a striking example, but, in my opinion, the closest prototype of a really serious movement that can take an empty place of the conductor of scientists to the highest authorities of the country and should “respect itself”. The prerequisites for this are everything, and the clumsy actions of the authorities will only contribute to this. This path is not close and not simple, but the road will master the road. See you at the conference!