Interview with Viktor Dyatlov "It should be interesting to me, it is important to be excited, to have drive..."

Viktor Dyatlov, the distinguished and authoritative historian from Irkutsk, answers questions. How should a historian or a researcher chose the topic of their study? What does it mean to be a researcher today? How can one be a successful researcher? What is Siberia? Does a Siberian or Russian school of international studies exist? Professor Dyatlov gives direct and bright responses to these questions and talks about his experience as a researcher living and working all his life in Irkutsk, while being deeply involved in numerous international projects and enjoying a newly open world. Viktor Dyatlov believes that researchers are free to choose the topic of their studies. He talks about the development of his research interests from nationalism towards 'trading' ethnic minorities in Arab countries. He discusses how it was possible to develop true research under ideological restriction of the Soviet time, and how this topic was transformed in independent Russia. Today Russia is open to the world and Russian scientists are free to participate in international scientific cooperation. Dyatlov observes that in this context it is important for researchers to be a 'team players', because the research process more often demands cooperation between many people. However, Dyatkov is skeptical of current trends in Russian science, such as scientometrics and the Skolkovo project, and concludes that the majority of investment should go into true research.

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