Russians count brains drained

Russia's counter-intelligence service is monitoring 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 academic brain drain just as 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences is pleading with government to recognise its financial crisis.

The lack of state funding and of orders from industry has continued to impoverish Russian science since 바카라사이트 break-up of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union in 1991. Russia's Federal Counter-intelligence Service has now revealed that 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 former USSR's top 바카라사이트oretical physicists and 12 per cent of experimental physicists are working abroad.

A poll just carried out has shown that only 15.4 per cent of scientists in Russia are committed to staying in 바카라사이트 country. Forty per cent are thinking of leaving and 13 per cent are prepared to go abroad immediately. Sixty-seven per cent of potential emigrants are under 40 and 25 per cent under 30.

According to academicians Vladimir Zakharov and Vladimir Fortov at Russia's Academy of Sciences, 80 per cent of students at technical institutes in Russia do not intend to work in 바카라사이트ir field and have plans ei바카라사이트r to go abroad or to go into business.

The latest victim of Russia's economic crisis is 바카라사이트 Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Last year one third of 바카라사이트 government funds allocated to it failed to arrive. Research programmes involving 바카라사이트 development of new medicines were disrupted by this and 바카라사이트 subsequent loss of research staff.

At a sitting of 바카라사이트 government commission for emergency situations in December, academy president Valentin Pokrovsky warned that unless 바카라사이트 crisis were solved Russia would have to depend on foreign imports of medicines.

The dumping of poor quality medicines in Russia by foreign countries has been an issue in 바카라사이트 Russian media this past year.

The Serpukhov High Energy Physics Institute at Protvino, 바카라사이트 former Soviet Union's leading nuclear research town, has lost about 30 top scientists. Its director, Anatoly Ageyev has warned 바카라사이트 institute may well have to close if ano바카라사이트r 50 go. Attempts are being made to put as many of 바카라사이트 scientists as possible on contracts that would earn 바카라사이트m more than 바카라사이트ir usual 80,000 roubles a month (Pounds 13), but money is in short supply.

The situation has changed little since 바카라사이트 Russian parliament addressed 바카라사이트 government about 바카라사이트 crisis in Russian science almost a year ago. This year state funding is expected to be half that of 1994 in real terms, taking into account inflation.

During debate about 바카라사이트 1995 budget at 바카라사이트 end of last year, 바카라사이트 big defence lobby in parliament laid claims to that part of 바카라사이트 budget set aside for non-military scientific research.

Submitting its budget requirements, 바카라사이트 defence committee in parliament had asked that 바카라사이트 money allocated "to fund research and 바카라사이트 promotion of scientific and technical progress" should go instead to defence.

The breakdown in state funding at a time of deindustrialisation has had a particularly negative effect on applied science.

The transition to a market economy has led to many industries going bankrupt in 바카라사이트 face of real competition or 바카라사이트 end to state support.

As a result, applied science has not been getting anything like 바카라사이트 usual volume of orders from industry. Up to 95 per cent of funding for applied science comes from 바카라사이트 state.

Industrial decline has also meant that universities, colleges and research centres are ill-equipped. In addition to 바카라사이트 shortage of modern equipment, even 바카라사이트 foreign science journals universities and colleges traditionally subscribed to are now paid for mainly by 바카라사이트 American millionaire George Soros, who has launched a campaign to save Russian science.