Containing Russia's Nuclear Firebirds: Harmony and Change at the International Science and Technology Center (Studies in Security and International Affairs Ser.)

In Containing Russia's Nuclear Firebirds, Glenn E. Schweitzer Explores The Life And Legacy Of The International Science And Technology Center In Moscow. He Makes The Case That The Center's Unique Programs Can Serve As Models For Promoting Responsible Science In Many Countries Of The World. Never Before Have Scientists Encountered Technology With The Potential For Such Huge Impacts On The Global Community, Both Positive And Negative. For Nearly Two Decades Following The Soviet Union's Breakup Into Independent States, The Istc Has Provided Opportunities For Underemployed Russian Weapon Scientists To Redirect Their Talents Toward Civilian Research. The Center Has Championed The Role Of Science In Determining The Future Of Civilization And Has Influenced Nonproliferation Policies Of Russia And Other States In The Region. Most Important, The Center Has Demonstrated That Modest Investments Can Encourage Scientists Of Many Backgrounds To Shun Greed And Violence And To Take Leading Roles In Steering The Planet Toward Prosperity And Peace. Schweitzer Contends That The United States And Other Western And Asian Countries Failed To Recognize The Importance, Over Time, Of Modifying Their Donor-recipient Approach To Dealing With Russia. In April 2010 The Russian Government Announced That It Would Withdraw From The Istc Agreement. After Expenditures Exceeding One Billion Dollars, The Istc's Moscow Science Center Will Soon Close Its Doors, Leaving A Legacy That Has Benefited Russian Society As Well As Partners From Thirty-eight Countries. Schweitzer Argues That A Broader And More Sustained Movement Is Now Needed To Help Prevent Irresponsible Behavior By Dissatisfied Or Misguided Scientists And Their Patrons-- In The Aftermath Of The Soviet Union's Breakup Into Fifteen Independent States, The Governments Of The United States, The European Community, Japan, And Russia Established The International Science And Technology Center In Moscow To Address The Dangers Of Nuclear Scientists On The Loose. The Purpose Of The Istc (also Known As The Moscow Science Center) Was To Prevent The Illicit Flow Of Dangerous Weapons Expertise Out Of The Former Soviet Union By Helping Its Underemployed Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, And Aerospace Weapons Scientists Redirect Their Skills To Peaceful Civilian Endeavors. Since Its Creation In 1994, The Istc Has Provided More Than $1.3 Billion To Support 2,740 Projects Involving Nearly 100,000 Scientists From The Former Soviet Union And International Partners. Thirty-nine Governments Have Become Part Of The Istc Family. Somewhat Unexpectedly, In April 2010, The Russian Government Announced That It Would Withdraw From The Agreement Establishing The Istc, Contending That The Center Had Accomplished Its Mission. The Moscow Science Center Will Close Its Doors In 2015, Effectively Terminating Istc Activities Based In Russia. Schweitzer Examines The Impact And Effectiveness Of The Istc And Emphasizes Opportunites For The Internal Community To Draw On Its Legacy-- 1 A Unique Experiment For Security And Prosperity 1 -- 2 Off To A Fast Start (1994-2000) 18 -- 3 An Era Of Euphoria (2001-2006) 35 -- 4 Unraveling Of The Moscow Science Center (2007-2011) 56 -- 5 The World Market For High-tech Expertise 85 -- 6 The Long Road To A Silicon Valley In Russia 104 -- 7 U.s.-russia Bilateral Engagement Programs 126 -- 8 The Nuclear File 153 -- 9 The Biosecurity File 170 -- 10 The Aerospace File 184 -- 11 Measuring Success 199 -- 12 Replicating Istc Experiences While Avoiding Pitfalls 219 -- 13 The Way Forward 235. Glenn E. Schweitzer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [271]-283) And Index. In __Containing Russia’s Nuclear Firebirds__, Glenn E. Schweitzer explores the life and legacy of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. He makes the case that the center’s unique programs can serve as models for promoting responsible science in many countries of the world.Never before have scientists encountered technology with the potential for such huge impacts on the global community, both positive and negative. For nearly two decades following the Soviet Union’s breakup into independent states, the ISTC has provided opportunities for underemployed Russian weapon scientists to redirect their talents toward civilian research. The center has championed the role of science in determining the future of civilization and has influenced nonproliferation policies of Russia and other states in the region. Most important, the center has demonstrated that modest investments can encourage scientists of many backgrounds to shun greed and violence and to take leading roles in steering the planet toward prosperity and peace.Schweitzer contends that the United States and other western and Asian countries failed to recognize the importance, over time, of modifying their donor-recipient approach to dealing with Russia. In April 2010 the Russian government announced that it would withdraw from the ISTC agreement. After expenditures exceeding one billion dollars, the ISTC’s Moscow Science Center will soon close its doors, leaving a legacy that has benefited Russian society as well as partners from thirty-eight countries. Schweitzer argues that a broader and more sustained movement is now needed to help prevent irresponsible behavior by dissatisfied or misguided scientists and their patrons. Cover 1 Contents 8 Preface 10 Significant Events in the History of the ISTC 16 ONE. A Unique Experiment for Security and Prosperity 20 TWO. Off to a Fast Start (1994–2000) 37 THREE. An Era of Euphoria (2001–2006) 54 FOUR. Unraveling of the Moscow Science Center (2007–2011) 75 FIVE. The World Market for High-Tech Expertise 112 SIX. The Long Road to a Silicon Valley in Russia 131 SEVEN. U.S.-Russia Bilateral Engagement Programs 153 EIGHT. The Nuclear File 180 NINE. The Biosecurity File 197 TEN. The Aerospace File 211 ELEVEN. Measuring Success 226 TWELVE. Replicating istc Experiences While Avoiding Pitfalls 246 TRIRTEEN. The Way Forward 262 Epilogue 276 APPENDIX A. Agreement Establishing an International Science and Technology Center 278 APPENDIX B. Protocol on the Provisional Application of the Agreement Establishing an International Science and Technology Center 287 APPENDIX C. President Dmitry Medvedev’s Decree No. 534, August 11, 2010 289 APPENDIX D. Diplomatic Note on Russian Withdrawal from the ISTC Agreement and Protocol 290 APPENDIX E. ISTC Project Funding and Benefi ciary Scientists, 1994–2011 291 Notes 298 Index 312 A 312 B 312 C 313 D 314 E 314 F 314 G 315 H 315 I 315 J 316 K 316 L 316 M 316 N 317 O 317 P 317 R 318 S 318 T 319 U 320 V 320 W 320 Y 320 Z 320 Explores the life and legacy of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. The author makes the case that the center's unique programs can serve as models for promoting responsible science in many countries of the world.