Photo: Lime / Anna Isakov
28 June the government introduced a bill on the reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). It is proposed to create a new structure that combines the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, and the state agency that manages the assets of these organizations. The draft law has caused confusion among members of RAN and its President Vladimir Fortova, who accused the Ministry of Education and the government of the murder of Russian science. Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov told “Izvestia”, what changes is the bill, and he took part in his writing.
– Dmitry Viktorovich, so if you read the bill on the RAS and who was its author and initiator?
– Do not just read and remember every article it almost by heart. Fundamentally new ideas bill contains, it has long been discussed. The discussions took place over the last few years, I have participated in some, and in others – no. How’s the exact language I can not see.
In my memory, there were five versions of the law, from very soft to very hard. The last few months of the text developed by the working group, which included representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sciences and staff and lawyers. It has gone through several stages of discussion and changes, legal editing, review, and approval of the government. Of course, I as a minister and government spokesman in the consideration of the bill in the Duma bear full responsibility for its contents.
I believe that RAS requires deep changes. In the form in which it existed in 2013, the modern scientific organization can not exist – because of the archaic and inefficient. In fact, this distribution of estate-hierarchical corporation that is only interested in maintaining their existence. It generates costs, but is not interested in the new results.
– If employees Sciences participated in the discussion, why do their part such a negative reaction? Maybe you are with them and were not consulted?
– I had only to express their views on the current state and prospects of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview, as Vladimir Alferov and Forts left the public council at the Ministry of Education. Then it was just my assessment, not the discussion of the bill. And immediately followed the move of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
I can not take the blame, that we were not trying to establish a dialogue. Do not we have refused to discuss with them the future of reform, and they have refused to engage in dialogue with his back turned, and went to the side.
Forts Now repeat the words I said at the time that the Academy of Sciences in need of reform, and it out-of-date. I believe that his present behavior – just hypocrisy and no reforms if Forts was president of the “old” Russian Academy of Sciences, would not be. This is a good face on a bad game.
– What is the goal you are pursuing and the government, undertaking reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences?
– We as a country have always been a major world power, and proud that we have a great science. We had great scholars, great discoveries and Nobel Prizes. Unfortunately, we lost that status. The longer, the more we fix the gap. And it is not only the leading countries but also from developing countries – such as China, Korea and India, which are actively developing their science. We need to get back among the world’s scientific leaders. For this it is necessary that our science is lived by the same rules by which they live all over the world: openness, transparency, competitiveness, etc. This is simply due to our national ambition – to be the leading scientific power.
– Maybe you just took the property Academy, and everything else for the blind?
– For the scientific question of the real estate is paramount. The main thing in science – it’s people. The quality and level of these people, from the comfort of working conditions, the attractiveness of scientific careers for young people depends on the development of science.
In essence, the bill states that the property is nationalized and property which in early 1990 was given to the state academies of science, and for various reasons, been used very inefficiently.
More than half of real estate in general is not registered, severely damaged parcels of land that were previously in the possession of the Academies of Sciences. A huge number of violations recorded in the acts of the Chamber and other inspection bodies. On the other hand, some members of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and their relatives got luxury apartments in houses built on the land of academic institutions.
in this situation to ensure the safety of the property and its intended use in the future only in the development of science and higher education, the Government has decided to develop and introduce such a bill.
I note that the bill does not regulate scientific activity. Next will be a whole chain of different decisions that need to determine how to arrange the financing institutions, laboratories and individual scientists. Will be determined by the system of scientific competitions, grants, and the ratio of the base and project finance. There will also be raised as to arrange a personnel system in science, salary system, the age limit for holding a administrative positions, the order of the election or appointment of directors of institutions.
Here it will be real reform.
– Why is the federal agency better job of running the property of the Academy? Where is the guarantee?
– people who will work there will be civil servants. Naturally, they will take full responsibility for their actions. They are not only required to publish a declaration of income and property, but they will be subject to strict discipline and resolve administrative problems, which will be put in front of them.
At the universities Quality property management is much higher than in the academy. Look, in Russian universities, the Ministry of Education subordinate, over 80% of real estate recorded in the registry, while only 44% of Russian Academy of Sciences. This suggests that the functions of the founder and property management federal executive body will perform much better.
– It turns out that 56% of the property of the RAS is not registered and do not know where it is and who?
– Yes, it turns out. It is possible that part of the property has already been lost. Therefore, a global audit of the Academy of Sciences of the property.
– Will you insist on bringing law enforcement agencies to investigate and search for these missing assets?
– Yes, if you would identify cases of violation of the law, then certainly.
– Another novelty in the bill – the transition to autonomy in the election of the president of the Academy. Do not you think that choosing a form of self-reliance, you lose control of the academy?
– I believe that the new Russian Academy of Sciences as a club of prominent scientists, according to the bill should be completely autonomous. Because it will be important for the state body of scientific expertise, and in this sense the state is interested in the maximum independence and objectivity of the body. Because to tell the truth can only independent people, and this is one of the intentions of the bill.
– But look, the acting President Vladimir Fortov clearly not be “independent person”, because he is interested in the preservation of the old academy and opposed. Do not want to spend the re-election of the new president?
– We’ll see. It all depends on the form in which the bill is finally adopted. We recognized that, when offered the moratorium on elections for a period of three years, the members of this new community had time to discuss their inner life. They have to determine what rules the academic community will live.
– In conversation with Fortov became clear that the bill drawn up without their knowledge. This was done specifically to introduce a bill to the State Duma, and then say that there is no turning back?
– Once again, the bill does not affect the question of the organization of scientific life. It touches the sphere of competence of state and government in the management of the research system. This regulation of science only at the macro level. Here, the government not only to exercise their constitutional right as the owner of federal property, but also a duty to ensure its safety and efficiency.
– You once said that the age limit will be academics, when at a certain age, they will go on a well-deserved retirement. So will the “academic board»?
– New Academy scientists as the club does not assume any employment relationship. The election in this academy – it’s a fact of recognition of the scientist in front of the Russian science. Academics carry that title for life, and you can not take it at a certain age.
– When do you plan to restructure the Russian Academy of Sciences?
– It depends on when the law comes into force. If the third reading will be in September, all of reorganization actions will begin in the fall. I think that the transition institutions of state academies of sciences in the new structure will take 2-3 months.
– you have almost all the accused – members of the public, the academic community. In this situation it would not be the right decision – honestly, that does not cope with the work, and to resign?
– I assume that I have two employers: the prime minister and the president. And if they are unhappy with my job, my work as a minister ends. While I do not get these signals, although there are comments and complaints.
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