MINSK, 21 November (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has demanded that scientists stop conducting pointless research and creating unpromising products at the government conference held on 21 November to discuss the development of the domestic science and the performance of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), BelTA has learned.
Speaking about shortcomings in the work of scientists, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed to duplication of research topics and insignificant, low-impact topics in R&D programs.
“It might sound harsh. State programs are not a handout! The main task, first and foremost for the State Committee on Science and Technology, is to stop conducting pointless research and creating unpromising products!” the president said. “Then the issue of defending dissertations will resolve itself. Every task in R&D programs is a dissertation topic. If you complete the task, you will get an academic degree.” Another important requirement is filling programs with tasks that deliver results now, not later. We also must finally identify who the clients for these programs are. Furthermore, it is necessary to finally determine who the customers of these programs are.
“As I have already stated, we will pay for the result!” the head of state emphasized.
He reminded that the State Committee on Science and Technology, which performs the functions of the State Control Committee in science, bears full responsibility for the effective use of funds. “In the next program cycle, your task is to conduct a strict but objective review of tasks, and organize work aimed at achieving results, not at squandering of state funds,” the president said.
He instructed to shift the priority to technologies that work for the entire economy, the so-called cross-cutting technologies. “It is no secret that they are precisely what allows the country to remain at the forefront of the global competition and avoid technological lag,” the Belarusian leader noted.
“It is necessary to create an environment where investment in these core technologies yields maximum benefit for the entire economy,” the head of state said.
In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed working out a mechanism where the scientist would be responsible for commercializing the research results and then use the profits to pay back the state for some or all of the budget funds used. “Think about this mechanism. We do live in a market economy,” the president said. At the same time, he warned against negative examples that exist now. For instance, when a single person in Belarus, the group leader or a scientist, receives payment for certain projects carried out for foreign clients. Even though this person received their education in Belarus and used domestic equipment and laboratories to complete the development. “We are aware of this. That’s enough, it will be over. I have no problem with you making money. But not like this, not by exploiting others’ work, equipment, resources, and so on,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “You will put an end to it before the scientists’ congress.”
At the same time, the president instructed to consider ways to encourage and pay those who truly work honestly, fulfilling foreign orders and attracting currency to the country. “Think about how we should pay for this. And we should not spare money for this,” the head of state said.
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