Russia lost 50,000 scientists in 5 years

Russia has lost more than 50,000 scientists in the past five years, threatening to hinder the development of science and technology in the country.

"The main problem in Russia is that in the last half decade we are the only country that has lost so many people in the field of science," Valentin Parmon, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), said on May 18. "Now, when people talk about technological sovereignty and the future depends on scientific technology, the problem is that Russia lacks people who can do that."

Mr. Parmon called on the Russian government to triple research funding to attract talented people back to scientific research and reach a "near-average level" compared to technologically advanced countries.

Researchers at Ural State University, Russia. Photo: UrFU

Parmon’s comments came after scientists from the Siberian Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) published an open letter defending three scientists arrested on treason charges. In the letter, they warned that such criminal cases risked hindering Russia’s progress in hypersonic technology.

“We simply do not understand how to continue our work when any article or report could become grounds for accusations of treason,” the letter said.

According to RAS members in Siberia, cases against scientists will have a negative impact on young researchers.

“Right now, the best students are refusing to work with us and the most talented young people are leaving the scientific field. Some extremely important research areas, which can lay the foundation for the future aerospace industry, are closing because employees are afraid to participate in research,” the scientists stressed.

Russian authorities arrested two scientists last year, Anatoly Maslov and Alexander Shiplyuk, on charges of treason. A third scientist, Valery Zvegintsev, was arrested last month.

From left to right: Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev, three Russian scientists arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information about hypersonic technology. Photo: Moscow Times

In 2012, Maslov and Shiplyuk presented the results of testing a hypersonic missile design at a conference in Tours, France. In 2016, the three co-authored a book chapter on hypersonic glide vehicle technology, a move that was widely seen as revealing sensitive information about the weapon system.

Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy said in April that the number of scientists in Russia under 30 years old has decreased by 25% over the past 10 years.

"In 2010, Russia had 71,000 scientists under 30 years old, of whom 4,350 had degrees. In 2021, this number dropped to 53,000, of whom 1,750 had degrees," said Mr. Sadovnichy.

Across all age groups, the total number of scientists in Russia fell to a historic low of 340,100 in 2021, according to the Institute of Statistics and Knowledge Economy at the Moscow Higher School of Economics.

The number of people working in science in Russia has been falling steadily since 2014. Between 2014 and 2021, the number of scientists fell by 10.5%, or 76,000 people. At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia had the highest number of scientific researchers in the world, with 992,000.

Huyen Le (According to Moscow Times )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/nga-mat-50-000-nha-khoa-hoc-trong-5-nam-4607041.html