A Look from Abroad: Problems and Prospects of Interaction with the Russian Scientific Expatriate Community

Introduction. One of the key characteristics of the modern global scientific community is the high level of international academic mobility. There remain a number of bureaucratic, economic, and sociopolitical barriers in Russia that prevent the development of cooperation with the Russian-speaking scientific expatriate community and the establishment of favorable conditions for Russian scientists to return to their home country. This article will discuss these barriers and the potential ways to overcome them. Methods. The study is based on the analysis of the results of a survey conducted among Russian scientists working abroad. An invitation to participate in the survey was sent to 2,892 respondents via email. The contacts of Russian scientists were gathered using bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science data and a search in the public domain. Results and Discussion. The findings have shown that the 1990s were the peak years of emigration for Russian scientists. The majority of these scientists are currently 40–60 years old. The biggest obstacles impeding the return of Russian scientists and the development of cooperation with the scientific expatriate community are financial (underfunding, imperfections of the grant system) and bureaucratic (overbureaucratization, problems related to sourcing equipment and materials). The study has determined the most successful Russian programs aimed at attracting international scientists into the country (the Megagrant program; creating international laboratories at universities that take part in Project 5-100), assessed their advantages and disadvantages, and discovered the most advantageous forms of cooperation for Russian scientists: taking part in international scientific collaborations and cooperating with Russian universities on the organization of overseas internships for Russian students and postgraduates. Conclusion. The article offers a range of solutions to help establish an environment that would encourage Russian scientists to return into the county and to stimulate international cooperation in science and technology. Such solutions involve reducing red tape for scientists, increasing the number of international internships, loosening visa restrictions for researchers, and improving the system of research funding.