Improving Social Science in the Former Soviet Union The U.S. Role (1992) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 9-23
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From page 9... ...
The issue of providing assistance to the Russian Federation, rather than to all the successor states of the former Soviet Union, was also discussed. Although the impetus for the meeting came from the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the group urged that the needs of the social sciences in the other republics not be overlooked and that efforts be made to include social scientists from the other republics in any programs developed as a result of the meeting.
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From page 10... ...
Providing social scientists in the Russian Federation with access to each other, to data sources, to research materials, and to the international scientific community were seen as priority needs. The contemporary economic disarray, the long tradition of censorship and limited access to information, and the physical and intellectual isolation of many social scientists make this an area of prime concern.
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From page 11... ...
TRAINING AND BUILDING INSTITUTIONS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION Institutional Support The working group focused its attention on the question of how best to institutionalize American aid to post-Soviet social science. It considered a number of different kinds of institutional approaches, such as working through already existing universities, academies, or institutes in the Russian Federation; establishing an American university there; and organizing an American-run summer workshop program.
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From page 12... ...
· Programs run through an ongoing institute would permit return participation and other kinds of follow-up activities. Such ongoing contacts encouraged by an institute are important to supporting participants in their efforts to transform social science in the Russian Federation and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union and also to sustaining interactions within the national and international social .
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From page 13... ...
It will not only allow social scientists in the Russian Federation to keep up with ideas and information from the international community, but it will also allow them to learn about teaching programs and research projects in other parts of the country that might have a bearing on their own work. Equally important, the group recommended that Western programs put special emphasis on helping to upgrade library holdings and library staffing and organization in the Russian Federation.
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From page 14... ...
The group also concluded that programs to improve social science in the Russian Federation should both offer concrete support for particular activities and help to establish new modes for scholarship and teaching there. The group particularly emphasized the importance of training and support for individual social scientists who have shown exceptional promise or achievement: they can provide the expertise and leadership to train new generations in the social sciences.
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From page 15... ...
Although a single training program or research grant can be enormously valuable for an individual social scientist in the Russian Federation, both teaching and research require ongoing contact and communication to provide feedback on new ideas, keep up with new developments in research and teaching, and the like. Finally, the group noted that although the immediate focus in its recommendations is on the Russian Federation, programs to support the development of the social sciences should also be encouraged in all of the other former Soviet republics.
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From page 16... ...
With opportunities to upgrade their skills, to learn new methodologies, and to read the international literature in their fields of specialization, these scientists could play a substantial role in sustaining and developing social science in their country. The group discussed the need for an overarching centralized structure to coordinate cooperative efforts between the United States and the Russian Federation to improve social science research and education.
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From page 17... ...
. · Long-term programs of study carry a higher brain-drain risk than short-term programs, especially if students see limited prospects for employment upon return to the Russian Federation or if political or economic turmoil makes such a return unattractive or risky.
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From page 18... ...
· Can be done as an exchange between universities in the two countries, perhaps on a consortium basis with groups of universities, using existing consortium arrangements such as Midwest University Consortium for International Activity (MUCIA) or other joint study abroad partnerships and agreements.
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From page 19... ...
Disadvantages · Difficulty matching individuals from the Russian Federation with the most appropriate mentors in the United States. · Selection costs: a method is needed for selecting qualified apprentices in the Russian 1 Federation.
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From page 20... ...
American foundations could be encouraged to offer subsidies, supplements, or incentives for American social scientists to include junior researchers (including graduate students) or senior researchers from the Russian Federation as collaborators or assistants on qualified research projects.
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From page 21... ...
. The fellowship competition could be administered by a single committee or association in the United States; some representatives from the Russian Federation could also be on the selection committee.
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