Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences is celebrating its 50th Anniversary

In May-June 2007 the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The Siberian Branch of RAS was founded on the initiative of professors M.A. Lavrentiev, S.L. Sobolev and S.A. Khristianovich, outstanding scientists and members of the Academy of Sciences. The resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers on establishment of SB RAS was adopted on May 18, 1957. Now it is evident that it was a very important decision on territorial development of fundamental science and its dispersion to the East of our country.

The main goal of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR was stated as “intensified development of theoretical and experimental studies in physics, engineering, natural sciences and economics to solve the major scientific problems and to promote building up of productive forces of Siberia and the Far East”. The basic principles have laid the basis for the Branch:
- multidisciplinary character of science centres;
- integration of science and education, wide involvement of staff and facilities of academic institutes in training;
- active introduction of scientific results into industry, first of all, in Siberia; versatile contacts with industry.

At present, the Siberian Branch of the RAS is the largest regional union comprising research and design institutes as well as pilot plants on the territory of Siberia (total area of 11 mln. km2). The Siberian Branch of RAS comprises 76 research institutions whose areas of study cover physics and mathematics, engineering, chemistry, Earth and life sciences, humanities and economics. About one-half of the Siberian Branch resources is concentrated in the Novosibirsk Science Centre. SB RAS possesses a network of more than 100 scientific stations, including seismic, permafrost, geo- and biospheric, gelio- and cosmophysical ones. They conduct continuous long-term observations and belong to the world network of stations.

Activities of SB RAS researchers are highly appreciated. Only over the last five years, 32 researchers of the Siberian Branch became laureates of the State Prize of Russia. Since 2005, two of six new state prizes in science and technology were awarded to SB RAS researchers, 12 works with the participation of 18 researchers of SB RAS obtained prizes of the Government of the Russian Federation for introduction of research results into practice.