American grants in Russian society
Currently, Russian government is pursuing an active policy to support social, scientific, cultural, commercial and other spheres of society. There are many different forms of financial assistance, such as grants, subsidies, soft loans, etc. But the most attractive form of support for individuals and legal entities are grants, as they are given on a gratuitous and irrevocable basis for a specific project. Mostly grants are given to entrepreneurs in the form of money or assistance to small or medium-sized entrepreneurship experts (business incubators), as well as to students, teachers or researchers in the form of internships or training programmes.
First grants in Russia
The first grant support programmes in Russia appeared during the Thaw period under the USSR. At that time, Russia experienced a stagnant period in economic and social spheres. Despite successes in industry and agriculture, there was a serious lag in high-tech areas, personnel stagnation, and a lack of qualified specialists and scientists.
That is why the first exchange of scientists from both sides took place in 1973 within the cooperation agreement between the USSR and the USA in science, technology, education, culture and other areas. This exchange took place with the help of an American educational grant programme named after former US Senator James William Fulbright. The main source of funding for this programme was an annual appropriation from the US Congress to the State Department.
Currently, the Fulbright Programme still exists and is actively developing. Its main goal is to improve mutual understanding between Americans and people from other countries, as well as to strengthen cultural and academic ties. In more than 80-year history of the programme over 1,500 grants have been awarded to Russian students, researchers and teachers. Fulbright provides young professionals or university graduates an opportunity to gain practical teaching experience, complete an internship and enter leading US universities. The programme also involves the exchange of reputable scientists - candidates and Doctor of Science - who are interested in improving their professional qualifications and wish to go to the USA to carry out scientific research.
On the one hand, with the help of Fulbright grants our specialists can gain new knowledge and necessary international experience, thus contributing to the further development of Russian science, education and society. But, on the other hand, there is a risk of "brain drain" to the USA, as it happened in the 90s, as Western corporations have always been interested in inviting qualified specialists from abroad, which is expectedly perceived critically in Russia.
Another ancestor of grant programmes in Russia in the post-Soviet period was the Open Society Foundations (OSF), which is grantmaking network founded by the American philanthropist George Soros. It was established in 1995 to support programmes in education, health care, culture, and to promote independent media. But 8 years later, in 2003, the foundation officially operations in Russia and stopped giving grants. And in the summer of 2015, the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation were recognised as undesirable in the Russian Federation.
The OSF grants were mainly allocated for the realisation of charitable programmes in the educational sphere, namely: the "University Centres-Internet" project, in which it provided new equipment and financial support to the Internet centres of 33 universities; the "Pushkin Library" project, the purpose of which was to complete Russian libraries with the latest domestic publications and many others. But apart from the obvious socially useful aims of these projects, there were a great number of ambiguous opinions about the "selfless" intentions of the Foundation's employees. For example, one of the reasons for the banning of "Open Society" in the Russian Federation is related to the literature published with the support of the OSF and supplied to educational institutions and libraries in the country. Many government officials and education experts have been categorical about the content of books and textbooks by English scholars John Keegan and Anthony Beevor for rewriting Russian history, promoting neoliberalism and a pro-Western materialistic values, as well as for omitting significant facts. All of this led to the organisation's inclusion on the patriotic "stop list" approved by the Federation Council.
But despite the ban on the activities of the OSF and its affiliated entities on the territory of Russia, some organisations continue to receive funding from the Open Society Foundations, promote pro-Western values and spread hostile ideology towards their country among young people. For example, in 2021, the Coordination Council of NGOs of the Russian Federation sent appeals to the Federation Council, the Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee with a request to check the connection between one of St. Petersburg’s universities and the OSF.
The Coordination Council of Non-Profit Organisations of Russian Federation asks to check the University of Free Arts and Sciences (St. Petersburg), which is being established, for close affiliation with foreign NGOs controlled by George Soros and conducting destructive activities in Russia.
Grantmakers nowadays
Almost each year new foreign and domestic grant support programmes aimed at sharing experience, knowledge and culture appear in our country. For example, in January 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced a new project implemented by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The aim of this project is the West's intention to maintain constructive bilateral relations between the countries despite the current political situation, as well as to strengthen ties between Americans and Russians. Through this programme, the U.S. wants to introduce Russians to "a positive image of America and Americans that will help build ties with the next generation of Russian citizens". For example, one of the priority programme areas is "Sharing America". It implies the imposition and promotion of pro-American values: democracy, freedom of expression, open society among Russians, and so on.
It is important to note that only Russian public and private educational institutions, cultural centres and individuals - students, scientists and emerging civil society members - can receive grants under this programme.
Foreign grants, like a medal, always have two sides: positive and negative. On the one hand, Western grants give everyone an opportunity to gain relevant experience in the chosen field, new knowledge and to get acquainted with foreign culture. On the other hand, they can lead to an outflow of qualified specialists and substitution of values among the population of our country. Of course, we cannot say with certainty that Western grantors pursue exclusively self-serving goals in implementing programmes abroad or on the territory of another country, but nevertheless it is worth being more careful while choosing a grant support programme and its conditions.
