Science of Belarus: the Need of Reform

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Опубликовано в библиотеке: 2014-04-29
Источник: "БЕЛАРУСЬ В МИРЕ" No.02 07-01-97

Sience development and the place of science in the life of the young Belarussian state today are the concern of not only the science people themselves. These issues are in the centre of attention of the country's leaders and cause public concern. This is quite clear considering the role that science used to play in the past in formation and development of national economy.

The post-war Belarusian economy is based mainly on the scientifically sophisticated sectors. Such specialisation required an accelerated development of science and wide-scale training of skilled personnel. A choice of this particular development route and its domination was dictated by lack of natural resources and was fully justified. It was the comprehensive development of science, higher education and high-tech industry which turned Belarus into one of the leaders in the former Soviet Union.

The key issue is the preservation of personnel and restructuring of science and education.

With national independence the issue of preservation and development of scientific personnel in Belarus became even more critical. Today the main assets of the country with which one can cherish a hope for survival and successful future are highly skilled workers. Losing even part of them would be a serious blow to our country. One should not forget that the strong scientific potential started developing in Belarus to a great extent because of the fact that many outstanding scientists from Russia came to Belarus. This scientific potential took about 30 years to develop. It is highly unlikely for this to happen again in the future. This is why degradation of science, collapse of scientific schools and talents leaving the scientific work will be an irrecoverable loss for this country.

At the same time, the policy of national independence and market economy requires serious transformation of the organisational structure of science and education in Belarus. This reform must be tied up to the actual economic and personnel training objectives, taking into account new economic and political realities. Today a detailed strategic plan of science development is required more than ever. Such plan must define the place, volume and forms of organisation of applied and fundamental research, their links with the development of higher education, industrial and agricultural production, protecting priority interests of this country. The tactics of survival and "sitting on the fence" is by now out of date and the time has come for active measures to rescue and strengthen the most viable part of our scientific and technical potential, for its greater involvement in tackling economic, social and political problems of our country.

As is well-known, fundamental research is mainly concentrated in the Academy of Sciences. In the past the academic-type science addressed mainly all- Union topics, the majority of them belonging to the defence sector. Considerable share of funding, therefore, came from Moscow. Today the situation has changed, and activities of the Academy must change accordingly in terms of prioritising research topics, changing the organisation forms of fundamental and applied research, improvement of financing tools.

If one shall regard the Academy as an institution designed to deal exclusively with the fundamental research, then the size of the Academy of today will, perhaps, be over any sensible requirements of a country with the size of Belarus. Budget funding that our country can afford to allocate for the fundamental science is insufficient even to pay salaries to employees of the Academy, let alone municipal payments and costs of research work. Following this line is an absolute dead end and may lead to a total destruction of our scientific potential.

At the same time it is necessary to take into account the fact that our Academy is not only involved in the fundamental research but has a large number of applied research programmes and findings. Findings of Belarussian scientists in laser and plasmic technics, materials science and engineering, energy, chemistry and biotechnology, to mention a few, were in the lead of the Soviet applied science and well-known worldwide. Unfortunately, the collapse of the Soviet Union and following breakup of economic links made a great part of this important work unwanted. At the same time, applied research findings of our Academy could not only cover their costs but could also support fundamental research and strengthen economic potential of Belarus. A number of academic institutions make considerable efforts to develop and implement their findings. However, efficient approaches and appropriate forms of activity of the Academy of Sciences in these fields have not yet been found. The ongoing processes inside the Academy leads to a gradual degradation of science and "depletion" of the most valuable staff. What is the most destructive for the future of our country is that because of lack of prospects in the field of science the youngest and the most talented are the first to leave. The science loses more and more of respect and becomes less and less attractive in the eyes of the young people.

The higher educational institutions face the same difficult situation in terms of staff and logistics. Separation of universities from fundamental research hinders in both the training of highly skilled professionals and development of the science itself. Harmonising university and academic science, closer cooperation with the former in order for the Academy to be involved in the teaching process as much as possible become most critical issues, especially now when maximum concentration and rational use of material and technical resources are required because of financial constraints.

A serious cause for concern is the extremly low income of the Academy's scientists in the recent time. Doctors of science, professors, corresponding members and academicians have found themselves in the "social backyard" of our society. Very few people know that today the salary of a scientist with the highest degree makes about $50 a month. A doctor of science receives an extra payment of $30, an academician-$45 a month. Considering that the Academy of Sciences has only about sixty academicians, extra costs for all academicians make just over $2,500 a month. No matter how scientific research planning would improve and whatever structural changes are introduced, the science and higher education cannot be rescued without radical changes in the remuneration system for the staff with the highest skills.

The question is not only the salaries themselves, but rather-how to define strategic priorities and to see what are the values of the society of today. If the objective is "money at all cost," then we will have very soon (and already have) a group of rich and well-to-do people with pauperisation of the society as a whole. If the objective is to encourage useful creative labour, then the country will flourish in no time at all. As long as skills, creativity and innovation are not in demand, this means that they are not required by the state and will inevitably disappear. If the situation is not improved in the nearest future, it will be too late: the destruction of intellectual potential will become irreversible.

Integrity of Scientific Goals

What principles should be used as a basis for reform in science and education? On the one hand, for a country like Belarus, especially in such difficult economic conditions, it is simply not possible to maintain appropriate research facilities at the expense of national budget. On the other hand, it is also clear that science in Belarus not only has to survive, but it has to gain a high international profile and bring tangible advantages for the society. To find an optimum solution to the existing situation one has to understand clearly the internal logic and structure of science, of the functions that it can and should perform not only for the development of world civilisation as a whole, but, first of all, for our own country.

References are often made to fundamental and applied science, or to fundamental and applied research. Applied research seems to be clear-this is research and findings which bring about practical advantages. Sometimes fundamental science or research are understood to be theoretical knowledge of general character, or a research of the issues relating to the structure and interrelation of matter. The truth, however, is that the science is united and inseparable. Moreover, any science is focused on practical benefits, no matter whether scientists themselves realise it or not. For instance, physics of nucleus as one of directions of fundamental science is used in such important sector as atomic energy production.

Fundamental and applied research are nothing but stages in one process of cognition and creation. It can be examplified by the process of oil extraction: geological research is similar to fundamental research in science, and organisation of extraction, processing, transportation and sales make up the applied part. Therefore, fundamental and applied research shall be differentiated not according to the fields of science and directions of research, but according to the stage of a scientific research. So, when it comes to the search of a principally new decisions, technics and technology can be as fundamental as are physics and mathematics.

Fundamental and applied stages of science are inseparable. There can be no success of the applied science without the thorough fundamental investigation. Take away the fundamental science: we will not only deprive our leading manufacturers of the source of the latest knowledge and highly skilled staff, but after a while we will lose the ability to understand scientific developments of world's leading countries. If someone thinks that our country can live exclusively on tourism, transit, export of flax, agricultural production (at a very poor level)-he is completely and utterly wrong. These days country's profile, its status in world community, living standards of citizens are defined exclusively by the level of scientific and technical development and application of the latest technologies. This is the key approach for any country, and especially for Belarus with its scarce natural resources.

Different Forms of Financing and Organisation

Applied and fundamental research, in spite of their inalienable link and the unity of goals, are quite different in the scheme of financing and organisation. This has to be well understood in order to retain "the sense of direction" in reforming the science in Belarus.

Applied research and findings are aimed directly at manufacturing of a product useful for the man, i.e. the one that can be sold and bring profit. Therefore, applied science does not only fund itself, but it also forms the basis for the development of the most advanced fields of the modern technology. In the West, applied science is concentrated not in specialised scientific centres and academies, but is integrated into production, since applied research is useless without practical implementation of its results. Today Panasonic, Sony, IBM, Philips and other well- known companies are centres of the Western applied research. It is characterised by tough work plans, very specialised personnel skills, subordination of the working schedule to laws of competition.

In contrast to applied science, fundamental research is a stage when knowledge is used to "write down" the possible ways of future development, but it can not be used as the basis for production, and, therefore, cannot bring profit. This is why fundamental science cannot possibly be self-financed, let alone profitable. In the future, of course, when it develops, it may lay down the basis for new and important scientific and technical, and, therefore, economic and social transformations in the society. This however, would mean transition from the fundamental to the applied science. Fundamental science features freedom of planning and creativity, and requires different type of staff who prefer and are able to look out for something new rather than workers fit to carry out exactly planned systematic work.

Prospects for the Academy of Sciences

Does it mean that our Academy shall retain only the fundamental research and to regard applied activities as a separate sector? Such point of view could be sensible if our country had a vast experience in the market economy and a more developed infrastructure of scientific and technical companies of different sizes, able to carry out applied research independently and to market the results of this research. Unfortunately we can not copy the experience of the leading western countries or their economic organisation. There is a hard work ahead of us in order to help our country find its way of development and find an appropriate place in the world civilisation. In doing so it is very important not to give in to the tempting illusions about the efficiency of quick and simple decisions, not to get lured into hasty administrative decisions, not to loose all the valuable things acquired by the Academy of sciences and higher education institutions after years of dedicated work of many talented scientists and tutors in the Soviet times.

The conclusion is therefore that for the near future our Academy of Sciences shall remain an integrated system including both fundamental and applied research. At the same time there should be a system of organisational measures allowing to get our applied research findings as close as possible to the present market conditions. One should in all respects encourage the appearance of various institutions and firms involved in designing and implementation, as well as in the marketing of scientific "products", both within the Academy and around it. Such products can be created on the basis of the existing high tech facilities attracting highly skilled personnel from the Academy, universities, sectorial R&D institutions. Only the transition of applied research scientists from general academic research to the designing of specific competitive products would allow to strengthen and improve the scientific and technical potential of our economy. The main objective of the future reform shall be the direct involvement of applied science in the economy, its structural reorganisation and creation of competitive "products", and not the separation of the applied research from the Academy. One should start with an inventory of personnel and technical potential of institutions and universities, collection and analysis of carefully developed proposals and business plans. Based on that the national scientific programmes for 3 to 5 years shall be developed and introduced in cooperation with the national committee for science and technologies. Such programmes will be aimed at organisation and support of the activities of provisional teams of scientists, small and medium companies inside the Academy or under its umbrella, whose business-plans win the contest.

Setting up companies with the ultimate objective of selling products at the market and gaining profits as a result of design and production is the most important and necessary pre-requisite for our economy to enter a new level. Only by integrating all stages, from designing to profit-making, as well as the interest of workers in gaining this profit will allow to capture their initiative and to direct it to the achievement of results which are practically useful to the society.

Institutions of the Academy of Sciences, as well as companies set up within or under the umbrella of the Academy and focusing on the development of new products based on high technologies, should enjoy various economic privileges (exemption from rent payments, taxes, loans at low interest rates, etc). This will not do any harm to the state, since at present the workers and production facilities which are planned to be used for the above purposes are in any event funded from the national budget and do not bring any profit.

Another Important Part of Reform

Another, equally important part of the reform must cover the fundamental science and the higher education. Let us first of all ask ourselves - why does Belarus need fundamental science? Perhaps, for the country of this size it would be enough to hire a hundred experts to write regular analytical surveys on all sectors of the fundamental science of the world, so that those who want it could use the "ready-made products."

Indeed, it is highly unlikely that the contribution of a fairly small group of Belarussian scientists and acquisition of new fundamental knowledge will be significant enough to influence the development of scientific progress in the world. Nevertheless, development of fundamental research is of extreme importance to our society, mainly - due to the indispensable role that this research plays in the training of the high skill staff. It is known that the best school of training of highly skilled personnel is the school of fundamental research. Involvement of undergraduate students and later - the post-graduates working on their theses, in the fundamental research allows not only to obtain additional knowledge, but also, and that is the most important, teaches a person independent thinking and creativity in resolving new scientific problems. This is exactly the reason why the companies world-wide put the greatest value on it and prefer to employ first of all those scientists who have the experience of the fundamental character.

Moreover, higher education deprived of the influence of fundamental science turns into scholasticism and dogmatism, and certainly is not able to train workers whose skills correspond to the best of modern standards. Without the "layer"of highly skilled scientists in the fundamental research "on the front line" of the modern world's science the society can not adequately react to the accelerating development of technologies and production. Therefore the main argument in favour of development of fundamental science in such small country as Belarus is in its key role in the teaching and training of the most skilled personnel - the "elite" of industry, science, education and other important sectors of our society.

It follows from the above that fundamental academic science must be put as close as possible to the higher education. Joint utilisation of resources and personnel of both the Academy and the universities will help to maintain a high level of education, at the same time preserving the fundamental science. Why underfund science and education separately if it is possible to ensure enough for both, provided that a sensible unification of the two is in place? This does not mean that we need to integrate research institutions with the universities. However, research institutions must be very actively involved in the training process. In particular, a large-scale ( and not an occasional) participation of R&D institutions in the teaching of students must be envisaged. This would include preparation of R&D- based pre-examination papers and diploma papers, lab and research practical classes, lecturing on up-to-date issues in various fields of knowledge, training of candidates of science and doctors of science for universities, etc. A more active involvement of academic scientists in the teaching work will reduce the teaching hours of the tutors, leaving them more time for scientific work. This, on the one hand, will raise the level of the students' skills, and on the other - strengthen the science itself. To implement these measures one needs a long-term national programme in science and education which would ensure the flow of funds primarily into the joint scientific projects of R&D institutions and universities. Such projects will be aimed at the development of fundamental research and improvement of the education system.

At the same time it is necessary to considerably improve the system of planning, organisation and financing of fundamental research within the Academy itself. In particular, we have to leave behind the principle of even distribution and to support, in the first instance, the well-known scientific schools, the most active groups and individual scientists working at the high scientific level and having a high profile. Priority budget financing of the existing scientific schools carried out within the system of the Academy of Sciences, combined with the bidding for funds available from the Fundamental Research Fund of Belarus to finance the projects will allow to preserve and develop the existing scientific potential. Moreover, it would be possible to identify and support the new talented scientists. It is necessary in the near future to enforce the provision of the Law on Scientific activities which envisages the system of contracts for the employees. This would allow to considerably improve the structure of R&D institutions and will add flexibility to their operation.

Future priorities

So what are the fields of science to enjoy the priority support in Belarus? They say sometimes that sciences and engineering sciences are not needed in Belarus. The argument about what is more important - humanitarian sciences or sciences - is as scholastic as an ancient philosophical argument about chicken and egg. Certainly, humanitarian sciences and culture on one side and sciences and applied sciences on the other must develop. Without the former society will "go wild", and without modern machinery and scientific and technical progress it will hopelessly lag behind the rest of the world and find itself "in the backyard of history".

Speaking about the tasks and ways of development of our Academy of Sciences for the near future in the most general terms, the most important task seems to be to try and break though the isolation that the Academy has recently pushed itself into, and to focus more precisely on making its main activities beneficial for the country and the society. Academy of Sciences is an enormous "pool" of intellect. Where is then its role in the designing the future ways of development of our country, its way out of the crisis, where are the economic, social and political analysis and assessments which would help the leaders of our country to make right decisions?. Where is the leading role of the Academy in the development and experts assessment of the vitally important technical projects, promising directions of development of the industry, extraction of fossils, basics of law, foreign economic activities, etc.?

Science in Belarus will not manage without strong support of the state. But the state cannot manage without science either. A more active and productive participation of the Academy of Sciences, other scientific teams in all spheres of activities of the state, on the one hand, and greater attention and support to science from the state on the other-this is an ideal situation which we need to strive for, and, in doing so, we could strengthen the scientific and technical potential of Belarus. With sensible utilisation of preserved and developed science, Belarus can be turned into one of the leading and developed countries of the world.

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