The scientific complex of Russia is now going through a difficult period. Starting from the era of perestroika, its structures are constantly being reorganized, abolished, reformed, optimized - depending on the current problems in the country and society and the competence of those leaders who are called upon to solve these problems.
Russian science and the specifics of its development
The modern scientific sphere, like any socially oriented system, is full of collisions and structural contradictions. Moreover, the economic policy implemented by the Government has a significant impact on the development of the scientific potential of the state. According to some analysts, the systemic crisis, which has unsettled many, including highly developed countries, is hurting the Russian scientific complex with a rebound. But there is reason for optimism - thanks to the powerful internal potential, our country has always overcome crisis periods, including in progressive directions.
The development of science in Russia was carried out stepwise, because the country either reflected the invasion of "uninvited guests", then hastily restored after wars and destruction, then experienced internal shocks - revolutions, reforms. The Russian Academy of Sciences has always built its work in a special way - depending on the “imbalance” of forces and capabilities that existed in the country, which should be eliminated. Looking back, we can notice that the problems of the scientific complex of Russia did not arise today, but we need to solve them - systematically and together.
The scientific complex of the country: structure and functions
The key functions of science are the forecasting of progressive directions, the examination of the results of work, and the development of fundamental and applied research as the main course in the activities of the scientific community.
The scientific complex includes all organizations that, to one degree or another, work for the future and "for the good of their native country." The scientific complex of Russia is an integral education consisting of various fields that create new technologies and produce new knowledge. On the territory of the Central region of our country, half of all research organizations are concentrated, up to 70% of the staff (researchers are people with higher education, candidates and doctors of science) work and up to 75% of the internal costs of research are carried out.
The normal and efficient functioning of scientific sectors is impossible without a constant build-up of scientific and technical potential, the progress of which depends on the amount of funding from budgets of all levels, as international practice attests. The problems of science are closely related to the problems of economics. According to the director of the Institute of Economic Strategies B. N. Kuzyk, the knowledge economy is currently becoming the core in the development strategies of the leading states of the world, and for our country it is a challenge of the time.
The scientific potential of modern Russia: the development of new research areas
The main task facing the “leading minds” is the development of science in Russia, the creation and rational maintenance of program-targeted planning, which is the scientific basis for managing the development of all systems included in the scientific complex of Russia.
Thanks to long-term scientific and technical forecasts, as well as the results of comprehensive monitoring of the country's scientific and technical potential (assessment of the capabilities of individual scientific organizations to solve the problems posed), a special list of priority areas of scientific and innovative development was developed and the mechanisms for their implementation are described in detail.
The latest scientific areas include breakthrough technological areas: nano- and biotechnologies, information and communication technologies, the production of new materials, as well as the areas of the scientific and industrial complex, which allow synthesizing basic technologies and achievements in these areas. Thanks to the development of new technological modes, our country can significantly succeed in moving to a new level of development, because global radical changes in the economic and social spheres are planned already by 2020–2025.
Scientific and technical complex: priority areas of activity
The scientific and technical complex relies on forecasts regarding the future development of science and technology in the interests of defense, security and the effective development of industrial technologies in Russia. In its activities, this complex carries out rational work planning and sound management of the accumulated scientific, technical, production and technological potentials of all types of industry.
The applied tasks of the scientific and technical sphere of activity, which now - in the difficult period of the formation of a multipolar world - are at the forefront, are:
- the formation of the concept of military-technical policy, scientific and socio-economic substantiation of the prospects for the global development of modern weapons (for 10-25 years);
- analysis of basic and critical military technologies of foreign countries and the formation of a list of tasks to increase the capabilities of their own military equipment;
- carrying out systemic design of weapons systems in the interests of ensuring their balanced development;
- the creation of projects for the state armament program and the formation of the state defense order corresponding to the new economic conditions for the future
- the systematic implementation, until 2020, of the qualitative re-equipment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other branches of the armed forces, military formations and bodies (based on the potential of nuclear deterrence and general forces).
Scientific and technological complex and problems of its work
The scientific and technological complex is based on high technology and is closely interconnected with the economic industry. Due to the fact that in the 21st century the demand for the generation of knowledge, the effectiveness of innovations and high-precision developments that pay off from the economy is increasing, the efforts of scientists and engineers are aimed at overcoming the fragmentation and isolation of the already created innovation infrastructure:
- practical implementation of state policy plans in the field of scientific and applied (scientific, technical and innovative) activities; solving the problems of technological modernization of the economic sector;
- achievement of outstripping growth in the production of high-tech products and highly processed products;
- infrastructure development of innovative activities (creation and support of the work of innovative technology parks, technology parks, technology transfer centers and laboratory complexes);
- the creation of integrated dual-use structures that are able to adapt to the needs of the market for both military and civilian products; efficient use of previously developed dual-use technologies and the creation of new ones.
Traditionally, the “strengths” of the Russian scientific and technological complex are nuclear and laser technologies; Significant successes were achieved by our scientists in the development and application of technologies for new materials, propulsion systems. Micro, nano, radio and optoelectronic, computer technologies require a significant investment of efforts and means to achieve a world-class level, it is largely outdated and requires modern replacement of industrial equipment. The mentioned priority technological developments receive support from interested parties - for the most part, of course, the state (the so-called federal target programs - federal target programs).
Scientific Educational Complex: Reforms and Collisions
At present, the concept of "scientific and educational complex" means the totality of organizations of higher education that are engaged in multidirectional activities: educational, research, scientific, technical and innovative. This also includes network communities of partner universities, research and educational centers, and academic institutes.
The country's scientific and educational complex is a “forge of cadres”, now considered as a component of a market economy, a “subject of market relations”, a manufacturer and supplier of scientific, educational, innovative products, goods and services. The current economic course of the country, therefore, requires timely response and training of "narrow" specialists of a "wide profile", that is, people who are not burdened with "knowledge, skills," but who have "competencies" and are "powerful sources of innovative ideas, technologies, projects. ”
Unfortunately, the requirements put forward to the education system, as well as the processes caused by the incompetent reform process, cause nothing but regret. The level of training of specialists (who, however, subsequently do not go to work in their specialty) is extremely low. Of course, such a state was not formed in one year, but it was created systematically. Already from the school bench, unprepared applicants come to the university (but with the highest mark in the USE!), And with such a “neglected” option it is difficult to “give out” something innovative.
What needs to be done to ensure that the country's scientific and educational personnel are well-trained? Education is an essential element in building the foundation of an innovative economy. At the present stage, it is necessary to pay due attention to the training of really thinking, qualified specialists who understand the peculiarities of the socio-economic situation of public servants. It must be recognized that the work of “effective managers” has nothing to do with reality, that they should be changed to specialists who know the features of work in their field at all levels, and do it at the state level. It is also necessary to pay attention to the system of continuing education, including postgraduate and advanced training, appropriate provision of educational literature and organization of access to sources of information for students of all levels.
Scientific Industrial Complex: Priorities and Prospects
The country's scientific and industrial complex as a combination of the types of economic activity of the national economy is closely related to the activities of individual production complexes, divided in accordance with the criteria of industry affiliation:
- agro-industrial;
- defense industry;
- aerospace;
- nuclear, fuel and energy;
- high-tech industries of the pharmaceutical, microbiological and chemical industries; scientific instrument making, production of sophisticated medical equipment ;
- construction, manufacturing, engineering complexes , etc.
The optimal result of sustainable development is the integration of complexes of scientific organizations and industrial enterprises using the potential of scientific and technical segmentation. This structure allows you to gradually move on to change the mechanisms of scientific research and advanced engineering and technical creativity, to make them as adapted as possible to the needs of existing industrial enterprises. Clusters of scientific organizations (such as the Kurchatov Institute Research Center) and industrial enterprises (atomic energy cluster) created by this type are capable of ensuring the selection of optimal parameters and cycles of modernization of the country's scientific and industrial complex by the innovation criterion.
The spread of modern information and communication technologies will expand the scope of high-tech services in the humanitarian fields - health, education, and the financial sector.
Scientific research complex: high matter and the bowels of the earth
The research complex unites organizations that conduct experimental work to obtain new knowledge, their application and practical use when creating a new product - a product or technology.
Typically, such organizations are called "research institute", but the complex also includes archives, various scientific and information centers, territorial experimental expeditions, industry departments, sections and services, research and production associations and laboratories, as well as observatories, botanical gardens, veterinary stations, individual experimental samples (for example, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).
Scientific work, testing, testing in these organizations are held on special equipment. For example, the research fleet of Russia, as the most important component of the system of ensuring national security of the state in the field of studying, developing and using the mineral resources of the World Ocean, uses appropriate vessels equipped with the necessary equipment and instruments for its work.
Reforming the Russian Academy of Sciences
The creation of the Academy of Sciences is direct evidence of the reformist activities of Peter I and Catherine I (1725), aimed at strengthening the economic and political independence of Russia. The emperor praised the potential of scientific thought, the importance of quality education and culture for the prosperity of the state. The created Academy initially combined the functions of a research and educational institution (university and gymnasium). In the future - for almost three centuries - the scientific work of the Academy served to increase the country's potential. It is enough to mention the names of such famous scientists who worked within its walls as L. Euler, M. V. Lomonosov, S. P. Pallas, K. G. Razumovsky.
The “failures” in the work of the Russian Academy of Sciences began at the end of the 18th century, when they began to criticize it for being too enthusiastic about theoretical developments, self-isolation, isolation from the country's urgent problems and, in general, “futility”. And in the 1870-80s. The Academy attracted public attention in connection with the refusal to award outstanding scientists I. Mechnikov, I. Sechenov and D. Mendeleev with academic prizes. Accusations have been voiced of the “anti-Russian” orientation of this scientific structure.
After the Revolution, the USSR Academy of Sciences concentrated its efforts on engineering and applied research — all the achievements of the national economy were created under her leadership. However, in the period from the 90s. of the last century and to the present, the Russian Academy of Sciences is in a state of permanent crisis. Its structures are expanding and starting to work, then suddenly abolished.
Since 2013, the time has come for deep reforms and reorganization of the RAS. The essence of the reform, according to D. A. Medvedev, is "to enable scientists to engage primarily in science and research and to relieve them of the unusual functions of managing property and the public utilities." However, the scientific community sharply condemned the mechanisms proposed by the Government, because they "are imposed in a radical and destructive form." So, a reorganization is proposed, but in fact an unreasonable combination of various structures of the RAS, which will ultimately lead the Russian scientific complex as a “self-organizing" system to collapse.
In an open letter to V.V. Putin, academician J. Alferov notes the outstanding achievements that have appeared in our country thanks to the RAS: “the creation of a nuclear shield; nuclear energy and nuclear fleet; space exploration and the Northern Sea Route; Siberia and the Far East with the organization of new research centers there; radar and semiconductor "revolution" and many others. " Effective reform is necessary, but only with the assistance of leading scientists and transparent decision-making within the structure - this is the main idea of the protest that arose in July 2013.
Problem areas in the life of modern Russian science and education
The main task of the scientific community is to provide full expert support to the state in priority areas. The obvious problems that stand out against the background of the modern development of the scientific complex of Russia are:
- economic miscalculations, penetration into the managerial circles of unscrupulous “effective managers”, corruption in newly created organizations (for example, the Skolkovo Fund);
- destructive mechanisms for reforming science and education, in particular, the proposed reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the prospects of destroying the scientific potential of the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the country as a whole;
- corporate and administrative lobbying for scientific research and universal commercialization;
- along with misuse of funds, there is a lack of funding for high-tech research.
Thus, solving the problems of science is not only a matter of scientists, but also of analysts, economists, and civil servants.