Assessment of Sanctions against Russian Science by Foreign Researchers: Diversity of Approaches
Authors: Shugurov Mark 
Published: April 2024

Introduction. The introduction of restrictive measures (sanctions) against Russian science, aimed at preventing Russia's participation in international scientific collaboration in both bilateral and multilateral formats, has become a prominent feature of modern international relations. For the first time in many years, international collaboration in various scientific fields has encountered significant political and economic constraints, leading to Russia's withdrawal from joint programs and projects with key partner states in the scientific sphere. The study's significance lies in the necessity to develop a theory related to this type of sanctions, given their unprecedented nature. A comprehensive understanding is needed, reflecting foreign scientists' views on the sanctions: whether they deem them justified and if they are willing to continue cooperation in any capacity. This will become a basis for modifying Russia's science and technology policy in the context of international cooperation. The subject of the study is the range of approaches foreign experts have toward the structure, scale, and implications of sanctions against Russian science. Object: Conceptual systematization of foreign researchers' perceptions regarding the phenomenon of anti-Russian sanctions in the scientific field. Tasks: identify the reasons behind the increased interest of foreign researchers and experts in the issue of international sanctions against Russian science; assess the level of consensus within the global scientific community regarding the need for such sanctions; identify the cause of bias among supporters of anti-Russian sanctions in the scientific field; determine the extent of foreign analysts' interest in the impact of sanctions on both Russian and global science; identify the pragmatic aspects of the current model of sanctions against Russian science. Degree of topic development: This type of research has not yet been conducted in either Russian or foreign science. Methods. General scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, abstraction and generalization, comparison), systemic and structural-functional approaches were used along with specialized scientific methods, such as discourse analysis, meta-analysis, and stochastic factor analysis technique. Result and Discussion. The article identifies three groups of approaches, along with their underlying arguments concerning the category of sanctions under consideration: radical, moderate, and liberal. The author demonstrates the predominance of a moderate approach, which aligns with official decisions to sever institutional scientific cooperation with Russia while permitting personal contacts. Conclusion. The international research community, aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of sanctions against Russian science on Russia and the rest of the world, pursues two objectives. The first objective is to identify strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of sanctions and justifying their necessity while mitigating their negative impact on global science. The second objective is to find effective strategies for implementing scientific sanctions, which could potentially be applied against other countries in the future. Considering the positions and approaches of foreign researchers toward the phenomenon of anti-Russian scientific sanctions is crucial not only for developing the theory of scientific sanctions but also for shaping the concept of Russian science and technology policy under new circumstances. The novelty of this study lies in its first-ever attempt in both Russian and foreign scientific literature to conceptualize the range of foreign expert discourse, which is characterized by diverse views and approaches toward sanctions applied to Russian science. The article contributes to the relevant field of research, specifically the theory of international sanctions in the scientific sphere, by arguing for the need to complement the analysis of the objective content of sanctions with an analysis of their subjective evaluation by the expert community.