| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Academy of Sciences May Become a Club
The administration is drafting a law to transform the Russian Academy of Sciences from a science monopolist into the Scientists' Club nongovernmental organization, without rights to manage property or finances, after the Ministry of Education and Sciences accused it of “sabotaging” efforts at its modernization and the Audit Chamber found numerous examples of its misuse of state property. Its function as parent institution of scientific institutes would be taken over by a new body, the Federal Agency for Fundamental Research, which might be subordinate to the Federal Agency for Science and Innovation. Institutes engaged in applied sciences may be incorporated into universities or business structures or made 100-percent state-owned stock societies.
Head of the Federal Agency for Science and Innovation Dmitry Livanov confirmed for Kommersant that such a proposal is under discussion, but added that “milder ways of reforming the Academy are also being considered.” The function of awarding the title of “Academic” would remain with the Scientists' Club. At the same time, the 20,000-ruble monthly payment made to academics (that is, Academy members) would be considerably increased, although the exact sum has not yet been established.
The conflict between the Education Ministry and the Academy of Sciences began in 2004. The Academy is convinced that the basis of the conflict is state property and lands it manages, which consist of 4000 sq. km. of land, 454 scientific agencies and about 1200 state unitary enterprises. The Academy's property was assessed at 68.181 billion rubles in 2003. The Academy earned more than 1 billion rubles from the rental of facilities in 2004 and its budget in 2005 was almost 20 billion rubles. The Education Ministry estimates that the federal budget received only 20 percent of the funds it would have if it weren't for mismanagement at the Academy. A report prepared for that ministry said that the Academy “is concerned not with research but with a comfortable existence.” A major source of disagreement between the ministry and Academy has been staff cutbacks.
Academy president Yury Osipov has said repeatedly that the Academy has “matured to the reforms” and the Academy press service accused Livanov of acting behind the back of Education Minister Andrey Fursenko, saying that Fursenko and Osipov see eye-to-eye. According to information obtained by Kommersant, a second, lass radical draft law is being prepared to hand in to the administration by the end of July and the presidential administration has not yet decided which to back.
Yulia Taratuta
All the Article in Russian as of June 23, 2006
|
|
|
