New Delhi, Aug. 13 -- The document exchange in Vladivostok on Thursday was tidy: a protocol signed by two ministers, three memoranda exchanged between university rectors, and a joint commission declared concluded at its fifth meeting. What the session represented was less tidy - Russia maintaining scientific and diplomatic ties in Southeast Asia while its research institutions face deepening disconnection from Western partners that once defined the global academic landscape.

three pairs of Russian and Malaysian institutions exchanged memoranda of understanding covering joint research, academic exchanges, and mutual recognition of scholarly work, according to a Sputnik correspondent present at the session.

The National Research Universit...