300 Russian scientists demonstrate over "privatisation of research"

SAINT-PETERSBURG - Some 300 Russian scientists demonstrated Wednesday in Saint-Petersburg over a government reform to privatise research institutes.
"The privatisation of science runs counter to the national interest and means the death of Russian basic research," said one of the protestors, Alexander Zinovyev, a professor at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Physics.
The education ministry plans to reduce the number of institutes in the Russian Academy of Sciences from the current 2,400 to between 100 and 200 by 2008 with the others to be privatised or closed.
"Russian science needs reform but not one like this, which can completely destroy it," said an another demonstrator, astronomer Viktor Balakin.
The demonstrators are also calling for an increase in funding for scientific research and the salaries of scientists.

05/25/2005 14:29 GMT