1001 



requirements for reciprocity in subject areas of exchange foreclosing 

 visits of Americans whose areas of interest could not be accommodated.- 

 Another factor lias been that whereas Soviets have stressed large-scale 

 group tours, Americans have preferred individual visits of long 

 duration.*"^ 



Apparently, however, the Soviet and Eastern European exchanges 

 program is no longer beset with the difficulty of filling established 

 quotas. Harrison Brown reports that although the exact cause of 

 increased American interest cannot be fully explained, it may be due 

 to retrenchment in funding for domestic R. & D.*'* Some spokesmen 

 predict that the Soviets, as indicated by their recent agreement on 

 cooperative projects, may be making conscious attempts to remove 

 restrictions, thus engendering more American interest in science and 

 technology in the Soviet Union. *'^" 



SPECIFIC observations: the interest in the "hard sciences" 



The subject field of greatest interest of Americans in the U.S.S.R. 

 for the total program, and also for each of the four-year periods, is the 

 general area of physics, mathematics, and mechanics. Seventy Amer- 

 icans have been exchanged to study these topics ; they spent a total of 

 214 man-months in the Soviet Union. As might be expected under the 

 quid pro quo arrangement, this subject field has also been of greatest 

 interest to Soviets visiting the United States. Since inception of the 

 program 106 Soviets have come to this countr}', on both long- and 

 short-term visits, to lecture and conduct research in the field of 

 physics, mathematics, and mechanics for a total of 268 man-months. 



Much of the Soviet interest in recent years has been in computers 

 (categorized under the general heading of "mathematics/physics"). 

 In the period 1959-1963, Soviet citizens spent a total of 26 months 

 in the United States investigating this topic; in the period 1967-1970, 

 38 Soviets spent a total of 162 man-months in this country studying 

 the general field. The next greatest field of interest, for exchanges 

 both ways, is that of chemistry and biochemistry. Seven Americans 

 spent seven months in the Soviet Union investigating this topic in 

 the period 1959-1963; during the period 1967-1970, 17 Americans 

 spent a total of 99 man-months on exchanges in this topic. The third 

 and fourth areas of strongest interest for Americans in the Soviet 

 Union are engineering and the earth sciences, including geology, 

 geophysics, meteorology, and oceanography. Twentj'-five Americans 

 have gone to the Soviet Union for a total of 93 man-months to study 

 engineering and 26 in earth sciences for 66 man-months. For the Soviet 

 visitor in the United States the next highest fields of interest are 

 about equally divided among engineering, earth sciences, physiology, 

 and biology and metallurgy. Soviets and Americans have been ex- 

 changed about equally in the areas of astronomy and radioastronomy ; 

 these exchanges have increased annually since the start of the pro- 

 gram. In the period 1959-1963, four Americans went to the Soviet 

 Union to study this field for a total of four months. In 1967-1970, 

 this increased to 15 Americans for a total of 15 months. Soviet 



^os Source: interviews wth Dr. John Hardt, Congressional Research Service, and principal author of 

 another study in the series: U.S.-Soviet Commercial Relations: The Interplay of Economics, Technology Trans- 

 fer, and Diplomacy. See vol. I, pp. 525-60G. 



«» National Academy of Sciences, "Report of Exchange Activities, May 1, 1969 to April 20, 1970," Tab 4 

 in "Proposal for Continuation of the Program of Exchange of Scientists." May 28, 1970, op. cit., Tab 4, p. 1. 



<»' Interview -with Dr. John Hardt, Senior Specialist, Congi essional Research Service, Library of Congress, 

 September 1973. 



