What are the disadvantages revealed in the reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences? How justified negative scenario, which scientists feared? Coming whether a large-scale reduction of scientists? How do the May presidential decree? On the main results of the reform State Academy of which was launched two years ago, the correspondent “RG” talking with the president of Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov.
When the beginning of the reforms, many scholars drew an apocalyptic scenario, up to the “death” of our science. How do you see the results of these two years?
Vladimir Fortov: I understand the concern of scientists. Then “not named, but known,” the architects of reform tried to eliminate the academy, to subdue her bureaucrats. But Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin intervened and stopped the zealous reformers. This allowed much to save and make the reform law is not so extreme. Important as it may sound strange, leaving the right for the Academy to study science.
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In these two years we have transferred all property to the management of the Federal Agency of scientific organizations (Fano), combined three Academy adopted a new charter. This step was to science and scientists is relatively painless, because it was clearly stated in the law. It was clear that in terms of what to do. The hardest part begins only now, when it is necessary to make real, not paper improve the work of scientists. To them, and not managers-bureaucrats feel changes for the better. We’ll have to take severe administrative decisions that will affect the fate of tens of thousands of institutions and individuals, and ultimately – the future of Russian science.
Unfortunately, this second stage of the law is not clearly established. Our aim is to fulfill the decree of the Russian president in May 2012: to raise the percentage of Russian scientific publications to 2.44% (currently 2.07% – approx. Ed.), The share of GDP for science to 1.77% (currently 1.19% ) and the average salary in science – up to 200% in the region. This is a very ambitious task. But how to move him? We need to choose the optimal trajectory, not wasting time on scholastic debate, petty feuds and counterproductive confrontation. It is very important now, at the start of the second stage, to see and to eliminate those disadvantages, which appeared on the first stage of reform.
What is the most “significant”?
Vladimir Fortov: Scientists complain primarily to the sharp increase in bureaucracy, paperwork, formalism in management science. The number of different circulars, papers, orders increased many times. It has become part of the folklore research.
The strange formula of Fano
The Internet created walks managers Fano formula for calculating salaries of directors of institutions. The comments sounded puzzled …
Vladimir Fortov: The appearance of this “masterpiece” was criticized at the Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences. The formula is obtained, the greater the institute staff and more money Institute develops, the better the work the Institute and its director, the higher the salary. This approach is possible for someone to crank-bureaucrat is acceptable, but not for the scientific organization. The academy has in its own world-class specific groups, for example, the Institute of High Pressure Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics. Landau, Mathematical Institute. Steklov. According to this formula, their directors will remain a penny a base salary of 30-40 thousand rubles. But the elite of our science.
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I’m meeting with the leaders of Fano, we are concerned about how to make an effective science. Solving the problem, these people act as they understand them, based on their experience and formal instruction. But academic science – a special body with the specificity. It was created for decades the best minds in Russia and around the world. And it is very difficult, coming from outside, to start managing such a complex organism.
I think here the root of various inconsistencies and misunderstandings. I think it’s growing pains Fano. As a result, we are losing valuable time to clarify and harmonize the seemingly obvious things. It makes science clumsy, she does not have time to take a new impetus, which is unacceptable in the current situation, when the realities in the country and the world impose us all special requirements.
Academics got the key
But like after the president agreed with the scientists and introduced the “two key” relationship RAS and Fano adjusted. Or problems remain?
Vladimir Fortov: We proposed the law clearly legally separate the functions of RAS and Fano. The Academy should do science, the agency – its funding, to manage the property. But in practice, it was adopted by a softer option. The principle of “two keys” is realized at a level substantially gentlemen’s agreements through regulations and agreements. And if differences remain, we, together with the Fano exit on the Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. It helps a lot, “resolves” the difficult situation. But it’s still a “manual” control.
We all still have much to do to harmonize relations. But, I repeat, it is important that we are entering a new stage of reform, a far more complex and challenging. I have no doubt that the problem will grow in number and complexity. If we long to stagnate, we will lose the dynamics of development.
At the last conference of scientists, many resented the proposal of Ministry of Education to dramatically reduce base funding institutions, making a bet on bankruptcy. As a result, the number of employees will be reduced by 2-3 times. For a decision is made?
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Vladimir Fortov: The question now keenly debated. Contests – a good thing, but grants in all major countries are no more than 20-25 percent addition to the core funding to the “base”. We can not do science on the porch. For example, an outstanding mathematician Grigory Perelman years of quietly working on the great task and made a startling discovery without any grants. On the initiative of Ministry of Education need extra money. Who would be worth a try that idea in an experimental mode at several institutions.
The logic of the Ministry of Education is quite simple: now there is a large number of different competitions, and scientists are quite capable of at least one of them to win the grant. But the “base” allows someone who for years did not publish any articles, quietly sent every month in cash. Who needs such a science?
Vladimir Fortov: It is only at first glance, but in reality everything is not so simple. Every scientist, even Nobel Prize winners, can be very fruitful period, he makes a discovery and provides one article after another. And there are times when he thinks about the problem for a long time or in experiments some setbacks. What to do in these times of “stagnation”? To put it on the “starving”, as suggested by the officials? This is just a vivid example of a situation where people do not understand the specifics of the scientist, acting on the basis of their seemingly obvious to them, but destructive to the science of logic.
Relics of Science
At the same conference, you have turned to scientists asking for suggestions on how to increase the effectiveness of science. Otherwise, you will do it for others …
Vladimir Fortov: Stop reform impossible. After all, we are calling for a change two years ago. But to make it less painful, a more reasonable and effective – is yes! I should note that under the reform of the money we are given. We are reforming in a falling budget. At present real inflation is already very modest funds for science significantly reduced. But our problems do not disappear, they just compounded. For example, the depreciation of the scientific infrastructure – more than 80 percent, we relic instrument park, the trouble with the reagents, no housing, an alarming situation with youth, humiliating small pensions, poor social package. In this situation, the funding of science should not fall.
The law has set new ambitious goals Academy. In particular, the examination of major projects of national importance, scientific programs, coordination of basic research in the country, evaluation of the work of all state institutions, including universities, and more. This is a great and important work for the entire Academy.
Guide Ministry of Education says that the academy is set too long, not in a hurry to start this new functionality. And first of all it concerns the tasks related to the activities of the Russian Academy of Sciences expert.
Vladimir Fortov: It is not. RAS has always been leading in the basic sciences, and not only fundamental. Its scientists have always determined the development of science in the country. The most interesting and promising work of all scientific organizations were discussed with the participation of the Academy. Given its opinion to take all major decisions concerning the development of the country.
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And now, despite the obvious reorientation of cash flows to universities, institutes of Russian Academy of Sciences are absolute scientific leaders. They publish more than 50 percent of articles in prestigious journals, and on the effectiveness of the money invested in the first place in the world. Although the share of funding of academic institutions in total expenditure on science is less than 15 percent.
Do you know how many Academy of Sciences received the “top” in the year of various kinds of papers, where we are asked to evaluate different projects to make an examination, and so on. d.? More than 700! And in all areas – agriculture, medicine, energy, space, transport, history, defense, sociology, and the list goes on.
Recently, the president of the country were presented and received the approval of major projects for the solidary development of Siberia and the Far East by combined cycle power plants, according to a “smart” electricity grids, on the development of the northern areas of the modern economy, according to “resource” economy, agriculture and medicine. I’m not talking about a number of subjects of defense projects. List is easy to continue.
In general, with regard to examinations, since the time of Peter I was the main task of the Academy. Today we strengthen these functions in every way. To implement all the envisaged reform of the new features of the RAS, we need to seriously restructure the work within the academy. To make it more dynamic, more responsible, with specific deadlines and strict control of its operation. RAS transition to a new track is now engaged in all academic leadership.
On the property RAS many applicants
One of the painful issues – is an association of institutions, restructuring. Fano calls impressive numbers: over the year there was about a dozen of these “teams” teams, which included several institutions. Pending the application has more than 100 scientific organizations. Do not confuse that restructuring is accelerated pace?
Vladimir Fortov: It started without RAS. On the presidential council and I Academician Yevgeny Primakov expressed doubts about how this campaign began conducting. And the president supported us. He said that in this matter is very dangerous campaigning that the rush to chase the figure should not be. Who is restructured on the basis of the rules of “two keys”, that is, the RAS have to give their “go-ahead” for each such project. We believe that to create such teams should be only in case if they work much more effectively than any of those who entered into a new team. For us it is essential that union conducted only after checking the operation of institutions and change “age” of directors. This “after” rather than “up”.
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In the restructuring, there is another aspect. We should speak not only about the merger, but the division – separation of the institutions of promising new research groups with young employees with new ideas and fresh scientific subjects, young creative leaders. Its independent business – is a powerful incentive for talented young people, and such teams must help, not “cram” in large unwieldy structure. According to this way of always gone our predecessors, highlighting major institutions, dozens of new groups.
Of particular concern is the situation with the institutions in the region. There atomization of Regional Science. This is a serious danger. We have received information that in the regions there are many who want to make money and property to direct the Academy of Sciences. This can not be allowed. Moratorium president – a good response to such figures.
In this year’s rotation of directors of institutions. Many feared that it could lead almost to collapse, because it is necessary to replace about half of the “age” of leaders. How is this action? How to take into account the opinion of Russian Academy of Sciences?
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Vladimir Fortov: The candidate goes through several filters, rigid, and the last word – for the leaders of the RAS and Fano. Already I had to change dozens of new directors. How they will be successful? Who would say no. After all, they are just beginning. I hope that the candidates we were not wrong, but success depends on many factors. It is now extremely difficult to work as a director. Including due to sharply increased the bureaucratic burden, micromanagement at the top and more than modest funding. Not surprisingly, many of the most promising scientists tend to go to pure science, not the administration. I know them well.
So I again and again insist that each step of reform should be weighed repeatedly, approached very carefully in each case. By the way, a special commission will soon begin assessing the work of the institutions. It must be borne in mind that all of the assessment system, the criteria are designed for a situation in which the institutions, for example, the German Max Planck Society, is a long queue of those wishing to work there. Because there are all conditions to do science. We have today the situation is completely different. We have 30 years of science funded at a minimum, and now we want to bring it to the same requirements as those of our competitors from the rich and prosperous countries. Institutions, of course, it is necessary to assess, but given our specificity. Otherwise, in the pursuit of the figures can be breaking anything.
Infographics “RG”. Photo: Anton Perepletchikov
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