a petition against the liquidation of the Russian Academy of Science

[Rossen Djagalov]

Dear Colleagues,

Many of you have probably become aware of the Russian education ministry's proposal for reorganizing the Russian Academy of Science (RAS), which will be considered by the State Duma next week (http://asozd2c.duma.gov.ru/addwork/scans.nsf/ID/C24B0934D5FB3A4243257B9800486712/$FILE/305828-6.PDF?OpenElement). The center-piece of this "reorganization" is the reduction of RAS autonomy and the transfer of all of its properties to the ministry. The fast-tracking of the new legislature without any public discussion, the clear commercial interest involved (RAS owns some prime real estate), the overall context of budget reduction, and the government's record of corruption and expensive failure in its science initiatives (Skolkovo, Rosnano) make it even less likely that anything good could come out of this one. Perhaps the most cynical part of the new law is the life-time "stipend" of 100,000 roubles per month promised to current academicians (a tiny number of the overall RAS staff, but certainly its highest-profile members) under the new dispensation to buy off their compliance. Government-friendly media are churning out article after article by obliging experts proving the Academy's inefficiency. There is little doubt that the leaderships of many scientific institutes are truly brezhnevite and RAS needs change. Many of the statements of protest have indeed emphasized that their goal is not the preservation of the status quo. However, this destructive legislature is hardly the change Russian science and the thousands of researchers doing it need.

You can express your solidarity with them by signing the following petition addressed to the State Duma:

http://www.change.org/petitions/%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D1%84%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B5-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD

Or should you be in Moscow, you can join the rally on Tuesday, July 2nd:
https://www.facebook.com/events/489113037834731/

Or turn out for the symbolic burial of Russian science on Wednesday, July 3 @ 9:30 am, in front of the State Duma.

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