1011 



There is little detailed information available about the scientific 

 merits of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. exchange program.*^^ However, there have 

 been a few "breakthroughs" in the opening up of access to American 

 scientists of some new and old scientific areas formerly out of bounds. 

 Brown is especiall^^ gratified by the placing of U.S. scientists: 



... In the important Science City of the Soviet Academy near Novosibirsk and 

 [accorded] the same professional and personal privileges as Soviet scientists, 

 including freedom from procedural amenities that exist in older centers to the 

 West.*« 



In addition to the individual visits, the exchange agreements with 

 the Soviet Academy have provided for joint scientific symposia. Four 

 of these have been held since inception of the exchange agreements: 



The first . . . was organized in the United States in the field of radio astronomy 

 in 1961. The second, on the initiative of the Soviet Academy in the field of partial 

 differential equations, was held in . . . 1963. A third, on the electron theory of 

 metals . . . was . . . held in Moscow at the Soviet Academy's request in 1968. . . . 

 This symposium generated such enthusiasm in a rapidly moving field that the 

 participants decided to hold a successor meeting ... in New York in early 1970. 

 We are now in the organizational phase of the next in the series, which is to be 

 on the subject of extraterrestrial inteUigence and held at the Byurakan Astro- 

 physical Observatory in the Armenian SST next September.^^^ 



Other important byproducts of these Academy-to-Academy 

 agreements, undoutedly, are the cultural and political ramifications 

 of exposing Soviet scientists and technical personnel to an energetic, 

 but pluralistic, scientific R&D support pattern. 



As a final illustration of the benefits of the scientific exchanges 

 Harrison Brown has .speculated that they have helped to ease inter- 

 national tensions by faciUtating efforts to slow the arms race: 



... As a result of contacts between Soviet scientists and American scientists 

 there have been some rather extraordinary foreign policy changes. I have seen 

 attitudes of the scientists of one country change enormously as a result of these 

 contacts. I have seen people come to the United States who had preconceived 

 concepts . . . which were dramatically changed during their visit. I would say 

 that if it had not been for these contracts we would not today have a Test Ban 

 Treaty . . . nor would we be as far along the path toward the eventual signing 

 of the Nonproliferation Treaty; nor would we have the SALT talks . . . *^ 



it seems clear that the U.S. and Soviet and Eastern European inter- 

 Academy exchange programs have contributed to an exchange of 

 scientific information, have strengthened the establishment of cooper- 

 ative scientific relationships, and have supported the easing of tensions 

 by laying a groundwork for enlarged exchange activities. However, 



"^ Barghoorn's summary of responses he obtained from American scientists who participated in exchange 

 programs, however, does provide some illustration of the general benefits and handicaps of the program 

 as seen by participants: "Many exchangees presented a carefully qualified evaluation of the professional 

 training and information benefits of exchanges. On the whole, the natural scientists appeared to think that 

 they could learn relatively little professionally from experience in the U.S.S.R., although mathematicians 

 were perhaps more enthusiastic, as a rule than were physicists, chemists, and biologists. However, in terms 

 of values other than narrowly professional ones, our natural scientists were for the most part, glowingly 

 positive in their evaluation of the benefits of U.S. -Soviet contacts. Among other things, many of oui- scien- 

 tists and mathematicians pointed to the usefulness of establishing personal links with Soviet colleagues, 

 among the results of which . . . were a more intimate understanding of the latter's work and the inaugura- 

 tion of useful correspondence and exchanges of pubUcations." ("The Special Case of U.S.-U.S.S.R. Ex- 

 changes," op. cit., p. 38.) Barghoorn's study is based on evaluation of the dimensions of communications 

 and perceptions involved in American-Soviet exchanges of persons. Data consist of questionnaire responses 

 from 180 persons sent abroad by the NAS and Government agencies. 



"8 Report to the Academy, April 29, 1969, op. cit., p. 6. 



*" Brown, In: International Cooperation in Science and Space: Hearings, cp. cit., p. 152. For a report on 

 the Conference on Communication with Extraterrestrial IntelUgence, See: "Soviet-American Conference 

 Urges Search for Other Worlds," Science (Octobers, 1971), pp. 131-2. 



*"> Brown, International Cooperation in Science and Space, op. cit., p. 162. 



