International relations and scientific communication of the Imperial Novorossiya University in the last third of the 19th century: The context of the development of Natural Science

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of international relations and forms of scientific communication of natural scientists of the Imperial Novorossiya University in the last third of the 19th century. The work traces how scientists and teachers gradually integrated into the European research and academic space, using a number of channels ‒ from translations of Western European literature and adaptation of methodologies to participation in international congresses and academic mobility programs. The authors analyze the role of the “Notes of the Novorossiya Society of Natural Scientists” as an institutional platform for the dissemination of scientific results, which combined the publication of local research with an orientation to the needs of the European scientific community. The publication regularly published articles with summaries in foreign languages, which facilitated interaction with foreign colleagues. The practice of exchanging copies with foreign libraries was also revealed, which made the “Notes” an important channel of scientific communication between Odesa and leading centers in Europe. Special attention was paid to the participation of Odesa scientists in international congresses on Biology, Medicine, and Zoology in Berlin, Paris, and Geneva. Their reports reflected the results of research on the Black Sea, as well as cooperation with German and French scientific schools. This contributed to increasing the prestige of the university, recognition of Odesa scientists in the European academic community, and transformation of the university into an important center of science in the region. The authors studied the processes of academic mobility of teachers and students. Teachers trained in laboratories in Berlin and Paris, mastering new experimental methods, which were later used in Odesa. Students had the opportunity to undergo internships at European zoological stations and in scientific clinics, which contributed to raising the level of their future dissertation research. At the same time, the university hosted foreign scientists, whose lectures and seminars broadened the worldview of the academic community and contributed to integration into international intellectual processes. A special place in the work is occupied by the analysis of translation activities and the influence of Western European methodologies. It is shown that the translations of the works of Ch. Darwin, E. Haeckel, R. Virchow, C. Bernard, and J. Charcot, carried out in particular by the Odesa publishing house “Mathesis”, contributed to the spread of modern concepts and the formation of academic terminology. This not only improved the quality of the educational process but also formed multilingualism as a feature of the university's scientific culture. The conclusions emphasize that international relations and scientific communication were key factors in the formation of the Imperial Novorossiya University as a regional center of natural sciences with European characteristics. The experience of Odesa in the last third of the 19th century showed that integration into the international scientific space was ensured by combining local research practices with global trends and the wide use of channels of intellectual exchange.