An Assessment of the International Science and Technology Center: Redirecting Expertise in Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Former Soviet Union (1996)

Summary: The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) was established to help address a perceived crisis that was created by the dissolution of the Soviet Union—that is, the threat of a large exodus of scientists and engineers with knowledge and experience in the development of weapons of mass destruction. The primary objective of the ISTC, as stated in the agreement establishing it, is to " give weapons scientists and engineers, particularly those who possess knowledge and skills related to weapons of mass destruction or missile delivery systems, in the Russian Federation and, if interested, in other states of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] and Georgia, opportunities to redirect their talents to peaceful activities." By providing opportunities for scientists and engineers to work on problems unrelated to weapons, the ISTC's founding parties hoped to reduce the incentive for these scientists and engineers to sell their knowledge and experience to unfriendly governments or organizations.