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in various professional and scientific societies in West Germany. During 1969 the government discontinued cooperation with West Germany in the publication of Chemisches Zentralblatt, the German chemical abstracts, which for many years had been an outstanding example of a highly successful joint effort by East and West German chemists. What influence the recent thaw between East and West Germany will have on scientific relations is unclear at this time.
East German authorities recognize that the country is unable to conduct a comprehensive program of research in all fields of science and technology but must enter into cooperative scientific agreements with other countries. In 1968 East Germany and the Soviet Union signed an agreement providing for direct consultation between specialists of the two countries on long-range plans for the development of science and technology. Other agreements provide for the exchange of literature, scientific personnel, and new technical methods. At times the situation has been one sided, with the Soviets dominating the exchange, imposing work programs on East Germany, and exploiting the results obtained. During the past 15 years, 8,000 East German specialists were trained or have engaged in joint research investigations and studies in the U.S.S.R., and approximately 4,000 Soviet scientists had visited or spent some time in joint research activities in East Germany. East Germany has also entered into agreements for scientific and technical cooperation with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and other Communist countries. There is some evidence that the East Germans are reluctant to provide research results to other Eastern European countries in fulfillment of the agreements.
East Germany has observer status in the United Nations and is a member of the specialized U.N. agency UNESCO. It participates in assistance programs in the less developed countries by extending credit, developing industries, and providing technical assistance and technicians. The country is a member of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna in the Soviet Union and of other worldwide Communist organizations. It also is a member of the International Astronomical Union, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Union, and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.
B. Organization, planning, and financing of research (S)
Although the East German organization for science and technology has undergone many changes since World War II, the structure has become more stable in recent years. Some internal reorganization appears to be continuing, however, within the major scientific bodies. The trend has been toward stronger governmental domination over research and development. Scientific affairs are controlled and financed entirely by the government, which in turn is under the control of the Communist party. The executive power of the government is vested in the Council of Ministers. The central agency of the Council of Ministers for the planning and management of the national economy is the State Planning Commission. The major responsibility for organization and planning of research is borne by this commission and its subordinate organization, the Council for Research and Development in Natural Sciences and Technology, usually referred to as the Research Council (FR). The State Planning Commission also directs international cooperation in science and technology (Figure 1).
The FR is the highest scientific planning organization in the country and acts for the Council of Ministers in an advisory and coordinating capacity on research and development of concern to the economy. It was established in 1957 to introduce scientific and technical research results in all branches of industry. The FR has control of research resources, the training of researchers and their utilization, and the expansion of existing facilities. It is assisted in its advisory function by central working groups, which determine priority areas for research and are responsible for formulating research and development plans and programs in a specific area of science and technology. A special commission of the FR coordinates and directs research on long-range problems and provides the means of collaboration with other Communist countries.
The Ministry for Science and Technology is the administrative arm of the FR. This function was held by the State Secretariat for Research and Development until its replacement by the ministry in July 1957. The ministry is responsible for the execution of the research and development plans, primarily by providing financial assistance to scientific and technical institutes and other research installations. It has jurisdiction over the general direction of research and the areas of emphasis and may assign projects to individual institutes, including those under the Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic (Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR—AW), East Berlin. The ministry coordinates the work of the FR's central working groups and also coordinates the activities and reviews reports of the
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