INTERNATIONAL CO‐OPERATION IN SCIENCE IN THE FORMER USSR

The founding of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in 1918 is evoked, It and its constituent institutes are continuing to function, despite the economic difficulties which have beset Ukraine since the break‐up of the Soviet Union. As an effort to internationalize its activities and to contribute to gaining back the united scientific space of the former Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Academy of sciences played an instrumental role in bringing about the creation in 1993 of the International Association of Academies of Sciences (IAAS) consisting of the now independent academies of many of the constituent republics of the former USSR. This organization is sponsoring a number of international scientific activities, including a publication programme for young scientists. It is also developing exchange mechanisms that can function without hard currency.