The task set by Putin was not completed: China and the United States took the lead
Russia ranks 35th among 62 countries in terms of science funding. The task set by the president to finance science at the level of 2% of GDP has not been fulfilled.
Communist Party deputy Oleg Smolin announced this at a State Duma meeting today, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“In the 2020-22 budget, the share of spending on science is reduced from 0,44 to 0,42%, and in the 2021-23 budget to 0,40%. The task set by the president will be completed only in 2035.
When converted to GDP, we spend half as much as China, three times less than the United States, and four times less than Israel. This is unworthy of a great power. Due to underfunding, we are late with space programs. While we are launching automatic stations to the Moon, the Chinese will land people,” Smolin said.
According to his data, Russia's gap in science funding from the United States over the year has increased from 26 to 33 times, from China - from 12 to 16, from Japan - 10 times.
“Due to scientific and technical developments, Americans are reducing the price of shale oil, and our oil in the North is becoming more and more expensive,” Smolin said.
He also criticized the system for assessing scientific indicators based on the number of publications in foreign publications.
“The costs of scientists for such publications reach $4 billion a year - almost half of all federal budget spending on science. We propose to change the criteria for assessing scientific activity, develop domestic databases of scientific publications, and help domestic scientific journals,” Smolin said.
He said that the number of scientists in Russia decreased by 2,7 times, while in other countries it increased, for example, in South Korea - by 120%. The teaching staff at Russian universities has decreased by 44% over five years. 2013 thousand scientists went abroad in 20, 2016 thousand in 44.
Putin's mission has not been accomplished: China and the US have pulled ahead.