Soviet-American Scientific and Technical Cooperation in 1960s - Early 1970s: Science Diplomacy as a Factor of Détente

The features of the Soviet-American cooperation in the field of science and technology in the 1960s - early 1970s are studied. The issue of initially observed imbalances in scientific exchanges and differences in approaches to assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of the fundamental Lacy—Zarubin agreement from the standpoint of reciprocity and symmetry is considered. Two documentary sources are put into circulation - letters from W. S. Lacy, Special Assistant for East-West Exchanges to the US Secretary of State, and G. B. Kistiakowsky, Special Assistant to the President of the United States on Science and Technology, addressed to Secretaries of State J. F. Dulles and K. A. Herter, respectively. Based on the analysis of these documents, it is concluded that there is no consensus on the issue of measuring the effectiveness and intensity of scientific and technical cooperation between the USSR and the USA, as well as the absence of a special methodology. It was revealed that problems concerning the Lacy—Zarubin agreements implementation that existed at the first stage were largely eliminated by the end of the 1960s. Despite the fundamental differences in institutional and human resources strategies for conducting scientific exchanges and related events, which are also subject to analysis, Moscow and Washington were able to find the necessary points of contact to effectively stimulate bilateral scientific cooperation. It was noted that an important role in the process of reaching consensus was assigned to the participants of the exchange programs themselves, among whom there were many world-famous scientists. It is concluded that the researched interaction along the scientific track can be considered as one of the factors of détente in the era of bipolar confrontation.

1. Gould-Davies, N. (2003). The Logic of Soviet Cultural Diplomacy. Diplomatic Histo-ry, 27 (2): 193—214.

2. Ivanyan, E. A. (2007). When the muses speak. The History of Russian-American cultural ties. Moscow: International Relations. 432 p. ISBN 978-5-7133-1316-6. (In Russ.).

3. Krasnyak, O. (2020). Science Diplomacy and Soviet–American Academic and Technical Exchanges. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 15 (3): 398—408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-BJA10025.

4. Krynzhina, M. D. (2020). The possibilities of scientific diplomacy under sanctions: the experience of Soviet-American scientific and technical cooperation in the 1970s—1980s. Sociology of Science and Technology, 3: 59—73. DOI: 10.24411/2079-0910-2020-13004. (In Russ.).

5. Panteleeva, O. (2020). “Music is an A-Political Subject”: North American Musicologists in the Soviet Union, 1960s—1970s. Music and Politics, 14 (2): DOI: 10.3998/mp.9460447.0014.207.

6. Raymond, E. A. (1973). US-USSR Cooperation in Medicine and Health. Music and Poli-tics, 32 (2): 229—240.

7. Reinhardt, R. O. (2022). Scientific deadlock and sanctions trolley. International discussion Club “Valdai”. 24.08. Available at: https://ru.valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/nauchnyy-tupik-i-sanktsionnaya-vagonetka / (accessed 10.03.2023). (In Russ.).

8. Reinhardt, R. O., Nemudrov, K. A. (2023). The Lacey—Zarubin Agreement of 1958: at the origins of Soviet-American scientific diplomacy. Nauchnyj dialog, 1: 431—446. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-1-431-446. (In Russ.).

9. Richmond, Y. (2003). Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: Raising the Iron Curtain. Penn-sylvania: Penn State University Press. 264 p. ISBN 0271023023.

10. Richmond, Y. (1987). U.S.-Soviet Cultural Exchanges, 1958—1986. Who Wins? New York: Routledge. 202 p. ISBN 9780367215583.

11. Saul, N. (2015). The Program that Shattered the Iron Curtain. In: New Perspectives on Russi-an-American Relations. New York: Routledge. 229—239. ISBN 9781315689777.

12. Sazanova, N. V. (2007). Russian-American exchange programs: history and modernity (1958—2005). Bulletin of the Volgograd State University. Episode 4: History. Regional studies. International relations, 12: 101—107. (In Russ.).

13. Sher, G. S. (2019). From Pugwash to Putin: A Critical History of US–Soviet Scientific Cooperation. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 324 p.