On the return of the professionals to the governance of science

The learning system should be smarter than the one being studied, the control system should be at least no more stupid than the control object. The governance of such an object as science implies an extremely high level of intelligence and professionalism of managerial personnel. The achievement of such level of professionalism and its maintenance requires considerable continuous efforts. But the entire thirty-years post-Soviet period of Russian history is characterized by a progressive decline of the professionalism of personnel in the science governance system. The process of personnel degradation of the Ministry of Science is inextricably linked with its chaotic reorganization that has been ongoing all this time. Based on the author’s personal observations throughout this period, the article analyzes the process of successive loss of professionalism during the permanent reorganization of the Ministry. A possible way of reviving the professional governance of science in the country is substantiated on the basis of awareness by the state leaders of the importance of this task and firm decision-making. The necessity of linking the personnel policy to a large real task of national importance, which for Russia at present time is the need to overcome the growing technological gap and the growing technological dependence of the country, is substantiated.The fundamental importance of the leader, whose potential will be adequate to the complexity of the existing problems and tasks, and which can be capable to form a management team and to create a professional governance environment at all levels and in all segments of governance of science, is substantiated.