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Concerning modern reform of Russian Academy of Sciences. Some information
Yury Neretin
As far as I know, West scientists do not hear much about a modern catastrophic reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences (for mathematicians: it includes the Steklov Institute, its Sankt-Petersburg branch, the Keldysh Institute for Applied Mathematics, the Sobolev Institute in Novosibirsk, the Institute for Information Transmission Problems, etc.). I myself never was employed in this structure, however I have to say some comments
(and it seems to me that modern situation in Russia contains a potential danger also for the global fundamental science).
First, I quote the prime-minister
Dmitry Medvedev (2009),
Concerning citation data as a basic criterion of scientific level and activity of a scientist. I am
200 percents agree with this. In the whole world this is a unique weighty criterion which is used. We must introduce it with maximal intensity, but with some limitation. For natural sciences and exact sciences this
[citation index] give 100 percent hit. But for humanists (which are more similar to me by education) a citation has another arrangement. In a no small part, humanities have national character. I would not be sure that
if somebody of our grammarians, politologist, lawyers is not cite on the West, then this is a bad signicative. But in bulk a citation as a criterion of scientific significance is absolutely correct and the Ministry of Education [and Sciences] have to start to usage of this measure.
In a certain sence, these words are not idiotic, since this point of view allows to exclude scientists from a governance of the science. Now pure bureaucracy and commercial management are sufficient to rule all sciences.
The idea of such exclusion existed in a group of Russian reformers since 2004. After two 'brunts', numerous 'toxic gas attacks', and a long 'siege' the Academy was 'took by assault' in June-September 2013. The exclusion of scientists from rule is the main point of The Reform started 27.06.2013. Additionally, there is an idea of great cleansing (on the level of institutes, laboratories, and individual; the obvious tool is the bibliometrics).
Several letters of support (Daubechies, Serre, Mumford, Hironaka, Atiyah,....)
are here.
More information is on website of the Academic resistance and few on my homepage here (but texts are in Russian).