Scientists and politicians

At the initiative of the campaign headquarters of the Russian presidential candidate from Yabloko, who connected with members of the Academic Club “July 1”, several dozen scientific workers of the Russian Academy of Sciences met with Grigory Yavlinsky . The meeting was chamber both in terms of the number of participants and in the style of discussions. She took place in the small conference hall of the Holyy Tion Hotel. Olga Orlova , a scientific observer of public television of Russia, was conducted.

Yavlinsky was the first. The leitmotif of his speech: "There is no need to convince me of the importance of science, I know all this myself." Grigory Alekseevich assured that, if he were president, science would definitely have its hard 2% of GDP. He understands that scientists, not officials, should lead the science, that the Russian Academy of Sciences must be returned independence, otherwise any financial infusions will not give a result. However, Yavlinsky added, the same thing happens in the economy - the government destroys everything that works. Conclusion - you need to make two things: increase funding, which is easy to do, since we have a lot of insane absurd expenses. And create a system that professionals themselves will control. All these are political issues: if you, a scientific community, do not have a political representation, you can do anything with you.

The scientific community was performed by the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Peter Arsseev ; member of the Council of the Society of Research Workers and a member of the Council for Science under the Ministry of Education and Science Andrei Tsaturyan ; The author of this note; representative of the Council of the Trade Union of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Mitrofanov ; representative of young scientists; Researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences Maria Zotova ; Academician Sergey Styshov .

There is no much sense to retell the performances in this note in detail - much has already sounded on the pages of the TRV, much will be said in the near future, there is a recording of the meeting , and now we will shy the said, highlighting the main theses.

The ascertaining part

• There is a growing shaft of the bureaucratic absurd from the side of Fano. In response, scientists are forced to resort to evasions and lies.
• Formal criteria for assessments of the effectiveness of scientific labor stimulate the growth of the number of hackshots and the invention of the corresponding tricks.
• The scientific examination system and the institution of reputations in the country are broken.
• The planted principle of management of science - feudal vertical - contradicts her spirit.
• In attempts to fulfill Putin’s populist May decrees (to ensure the salary of scientists at least 200% of the average in the region), the RAS institutions are forced to resort to violation of the law, massively transferring employees to the share of the rates with a promise to maintain salaries. Again, evasions and lies.
• The same May decrees lead to the glaring inequality of scientists on a territorial basis (the average salaries in the region are very different). As a result, a scientist in Nizhny Novgorod at an equal rate will receive about half as much as Moscow, and it is scary to imagine how much an employee will receive a special astrophysical observatory located in Karachay-Cherkessia. By the way, there are many world -class scientists.
• Basic financing is catastrophically lacking for research, trips and other aspects of scientific activity. At the same time, the available grants, including the RFFF, are very competitive, and their receipt often depends on the connections or cases.

The constructive part (as it should be in the beautiful Russia of the future)

• Self -government: Science is guided by scientists, not officials.
• Basic financing sufficient for the main scientific activity plus a variety of grants. Both large -competitive and small, low -competitive (now all highly competitive, including small Grants of the RFFI).
• The assessment of scientific activity should be expert, not formal. The examination of Russian institutions, scientists and their projects must be involved in foreign scientists.
• No "priority areas"!

After three performances, Yavlinsky again took the floor and said that the speakers were offering measures, as if he had already become president. In fact, everything that is proposed is not difficult to do. There is another problem. There are no prospects in this system. We need a new state system. Let us give a couple of quotes:

- You say: "We need political will." Sorry, they do not need political will. You need this political will. If you do not fight for yourself, no one will do this. We have no society that can be appealed to. It didn't work out.

- You said “I don’t know what to do,” and you (indicates the author notes) said “I don’t know what to do” ... I will tell you what to do. If the whole Academy votes publicly and openly for Yavlinsky, then the next day Putin will come to you and ask: “What should I do for you? Why are you all so offended by me? "

- So the authorities will immediately be removed! (replica from the hall).

- Are you so dear to you?

Perhaps the most specific proposal was in the speech of the chairman of the “Yabloko”, the candidate of sciences (whose dissertation, according to Grigory Yavlinsky, was repeatedly checked by the “disserter”) Emilia Slabunova . She stated that Yabloko was ready to lobby for the interests of science and is waiting for proposals from the scientific community. How to lobby? After all, the party is not represented in the Duma. For example, through regional parliaments with the right of legislative initiative. She already tried to conduct a bill of science through the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia (whose member is a member), where many of those principles were formulated that, for example, are present in such
called a letter of 400 members of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The bill was chopped off by deputies from the ruling party and loyal to it. Now a new attempt will be made supported by the scientific community.

In conclusion, my point of view

• Such meetings are certainly useful not only for politicians, but also for us, even if the direct effect is not visible. By the way, several years ago, in a similar situation, a meeting took place with those whose name cannot be pronounced. And the useful effect was the same: Navalny, having an audience by an order of magnitude greater than all near -scientific media, told the broad masses about an attempt by the authorities to deal with the Academy of Sciences.
• I want to support the thesis of Grigory Yavlinsky that we should show political will, adding that the forms of this political will can be very different. For example, the coming fourth conference of RAS employees, if it is enough "combat".
• The proposals for cooperation with political parties should respond. It will come in handy, although it is impossible to be sure in advance what is the case, and not otherwise. Our game is a long time, it is important to remember about the lying stone here.

Boris Stern