The Russian Science during the Period of Sanctions in Relation to the Problem of Modernization of the Russian Economy

Abstract

The article consists of two parts. The first part called Retrospective analyzes the reasons for declining Russian science and higher education and considers them as the factors for the modernization of the Russian economy and society. It is shown that the roots lie in the reorganization of science and higher education carried out by the Soviet leadership at the end of the 20s of the 20th century.This degradation was caused by separated science and higher education, the extensive development of science and higher education, the deprivation of their autonomy and freedom of scientific research, especially in the humanities, the persecution of dissidents, and the restriction on international contacts between scientists. In the late Soviet period, these problems of the Soviet science and higher education were exacerbated by declining prestige and low demand for science and higher education. In the post-Soviet period, despite new opportunities for self-expression, independence, and international contacts, the scientific and higher education performance kept on declining, due to a huge reduction in funding, small demand, and low-qualified professional staff. The second part called Prospects considers the ways to revive science and higher education under economic and scientific sanctions. It is offered to redirect the larger part of thegross domestic product into highly increased investments into physical and human capital. The author explains the necessity to reorganize the system of science and higher education by reducing the number of institutions of science and higher education; by downsizing the number of their staff; by providing possibilities for self-administration; and by changing the policy of state, public, and commercial institutions.