Managing democracy in Russia
It seems that in Russia' "managed democracy" there might not be room for an independent, democratic scientific institution any more than there's room for more than Puntin's political party or the government's media. This report comes from the Washington Post.Russia Seeks More Control At Academy Of Sciences
"The historic autonomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has pioneered fundamental research in Russia since its founding by Peter the Great three centuries ago, is under threat from government proposals to bring the institution under much tighter state control and end its academic freedom, according to academy members...
"Members of the academy, which in 1980 defied Soviet demands that it expel dissident physicist Andrei Sakharov, view the plan as part of a broader trend of increased official control over key parts of Russian society...
"Under the government's plan, [the academy] and other foreign policy think tanks might come under the control of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"Government officials describe their efforts to give the academy a new basic charter as necessary to inject some efficiency into an academic cocoon run by an aging club of researchers too removed from the modern economy...
"The academy's senior members oversee a $1.2 billion budget, 400 research institutes and 200,000 researchers and staff members across Russia. The institution is self-governing. The funding of research, as well as personnel matters -- from who becomes a researcher to who enjoys the prestigious title of full membership, "academician" -- is determined by secret ballot...
"The government's model charter would abolish the direct and secret election of academy officers other than the president, including the heads of all institutes. They would instead be nominated by the academy's president and approved by its supervisory board..."
Labels: democratization, Russia
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:24 AM
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Russian Academy of Sciences Rejects Demand to Give Up Autonomy
"MOSCOW, March 28, 2007 -- The Russian Academy of Sciences, the historic home of Russia's brightest scientific minds, on Wednesday rejected a government demand that it cede more control to the state, and instead adopted a charter that preserves its centuries-old autonomy...
"Academy members rejected the government's plan as a threat to independent scientific research and called it part of a broader trend of increasing official control over critical parts of Russian society. Some academy members have suggested that the government's plan may be driven by the desire of some bureaucrats to gain control of the academy's rich property portfolio..."
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