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Science and Technology in Kazakhstan: Current Status and Future Prospects PDF

136 Pages·2007·0.34 MB·English
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Committee on Science and Technology in Kazakhstan Office for Central Europe and Eurasia Development, Security, and Cooperation Policy and Global Affairs THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Insti- tute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. FRGV-7631 between the National Acad- emy of Sciences and the government of Kazakhstan. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-10471-5 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-10471-8 One copy of this report per request is available from the Office for Central Europe and Eurasia, National Research Council, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-2644; Fax (202) 334-2614. Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334- 3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2007 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the re- sponsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the Nation- al Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Acad- emies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN KAZAKHSTAN Alvin W. Trivelpiece (Chair), Director (retired), Oak Ridge National Laboratory Clifford Gaddy, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development Program, The Brookings Institution Norman P. Neureiter, Director, Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy, American Association for the Advancement of Science Marilyn L. Pifer, Senior Program Manager and Senior Technical Advisor, U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation Consultants John D. Baldeschwieler, J. Stanley Johnson Professor (emeritus), California Institute of Technology Lawrence Goldberg, Senior Engineering Advisor, National Science Foundation Brenda Pierce, Program Coordinator, Energy Resources Program, U.S. Geological Survey Joseph Silva, Jr., Dean (emeritus), University of California, Davis, School of Medicine Henry J. Vaux, Jr., Professor (emeritus), University of California, Berkeley NRC Staff Glenn Schweitzer, Director, Office for Central Europe and Eurasia Amy Moore, Senior Program Assistant, Office for Central Europe and Eurasia v Preface In June 2006 the National Research Council (NRC) entered into a contract with the National Center for Scientific and Technical Information (NCSTI) of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of the government of Kazakhstan to carry out a study of the current status and the potential for future development of the science and technology (S&T) base of the country. Of particular interest to both parties were the S&T human resources of the country, the organizational and institutional structures of the public and private sectors that have S&T di- mensions, the capabilities of research and education institutions, the linkages among these and other organizations that have a role in the innovation process, and the sectors of economic and social development that deserve priority for investments of government funds to support research and development (R&D) activities. This report presents the results of the study carried out by a committee of specialists selected by the NRC. S&T-related policies, priorities, and activities are changing in Kazakhstan as the government attempts to upgrade the S&T infrastructure as rapidly as possible and as the private sector steadily increases its investments in the ex- panding economy. This report is based on conditions in the country as of Sep- tember 2006. Many of the conclusions and recommendations in this report should be relevant for several years, though, since the technology-oriented commitment of the country’s leadership to rapid economic and scientific development proba- bly will remain until the next major political election in 2012. vii viii PREFACE SCOPE OF THE STUDY The Statement of Task in the contract specified that the following topics would be addressed: • Existing institutional capabilities of Kazakhstan’s R&D institutions, state research centers, and other institutions of the S&T community. • Higher education capacity and trends, with particular attention to (1) research activities and (2) the significance of national S&T policy in influencing higher education and research. • Current and potential domestic and international customers for R&D re- sults and S&T products. • Funding sources for S&T. • Shortcomings in Kazakhstan’s policies that affect S&T and the principal mechanisms for implementing relevant policies. • Factors hindering the development of Kazakhstan’s S&T. • Specific measures for maintaining and facilitating research activity that can lead to breakthroughs. • Opportunities for regional S&T collaboration. In addition, NCSTI asked the NRC to provide observations to the extent possible on other aspects of the S&T base that are being addressed in the govern- ment’s program for the evaluation of scientific institutions, recognizing that there were time, resource, and information constraints for providing such observa- tions. Of particular interest were the proposed Terms of Reference for the gov- ernment’s evaluation. These proposed Terms of Reference are set forth in Ap- pendix A. In subsequent discussions NCSTI officials indicated that the following top- ics would be of special interest: • The legal basis for activities in the field of S&T. • The material and technical base for scientific activities. • Public- and private-sector funding of research activities. • Establishment of priorities in the field of S&T. • Relationships between public- and private-sector research and education activity. • Commercial demand and potential domestic and international customers for the products of research. Taken together, the overlapping interests set forth above cover almost every aspect of S&T activities in the country. Since this study was to be completed within six months in order to be most helpful within the government’s planning and budget timeline, the committee members and consultants engaged to assist PREFACE ix in this effort were not able to spend sufficient time in Kazakhstan to examine all aspects of the S&T infrastructure. At the same time, a number of other foreign organizations were developing recommendations concerning S&T activities in the country. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) was supporting studies by international experts of industrial technology activities, with an emphasis on the role of the private sec- tor. Further, the World Bank had completed in early 2006 the development of an analytical framework for providing support to selected research groups of excel- lence in the country and for promoting technology transfer activities. Also, as of September 2006 the Science Foundation of Ireland was carrying out a limited study of S&T aspects of higher education, and specialists from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris, the World Bank, and MES were initiating a more detailed study of the same topic. Well aware of these constraints and overlapping activities, the NRC com- mittee and NCSTI agreed that it would be most helpful to MES if this report had the following characteristics: • The study would identify fields of S&T that should be considered for increased and sustained government R&D funding and/or political support. At the time of initiation of the study, the government was considering designation of five fields of priority importance for focusing R&D efforts: space science and information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, nuclear and renewable energy, and hydrocarbon and mineral resources. The study was to examine these fields along with additional fields that the NRC committee thought warranted consideration for special emphasis. • Given time and logistics constraints, the committee and NCSTI agreed that it was not feasible to examine activities in space science and the social sciences other than economics, recognizing that each of these topics deserved serious assessments through other mechanisms. • The current and future activities of key public-sector educational and research institutions under the purview of MES would be primary focal points for the study. A limited number of institutions of MIT, the Ministry of Agricul- ture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources would be considered as well. Organizations subordinate to the Ministries of Transportation, Communication, Environmental Protection, and Defense—while involved in S&T-related activities—would not be included in the study. A few private-sector institutions, including selected universities, small innovative firms, and large companies that are particularly active in S&T endeavors would be included to ensure a broad overview of S&T-related capabilities. • The study would give special attention to the government’s proposed draft of the program plan for development of science from 2007 to 2012 and provide comments on the program as appropriate. The main idea of the plan, as explained by NCSTI, is to create and develop the necessary conditions and envi- x PREFACE ronment for carrying out research; for increasing the quality of research; for developing the base for cooperation between research centers, education institu- tions, and the private industrial sector; and for motivating young scientists to work in Kazakhstan. • The crucial importance of development and retention of the nation’s S&T human resource base would be a major consideration throughout all aspects of the study. • The study would consider research, development, and education within the broader context of the entire innovation process—from basic research to successful use of the products of research. AUDIENCES FOR THIS REPORT The principal audience for this report is the government of Kazakhstan, particularly MES. President Nazarbayev, his advisers, the parliament, and other government officials and organizations should be interested in the analyses and conclusions since the report addresses some of the highest priority issues that have been debated within the government in recent years. A second important audience is the large array of Kazakhstani organiza- tions involved in activities that have important S&T components. Some are designers or implementers of research programs. Others are potential users of the products of research. Others train managers and specialists to carry out S&T-related activities. Still others are affected financially by decisions to allo- cate resources to S&T. Many more are affected in the long run by scientific endeavors that lead to changes in the technological capabilities of the country. In the words of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, “Every business participates in technological change as an originator, user, or victim of techno- 1 logical invention and innovation.” A third audience includes many international organizations, governments of neighboring states, providers of foreign assistance, local and foreign investors in the economy of the country, the international scientific community, and interna- tional and homegrown nongovernmental organizations that are involved in shap- ing the future of the country. Some members of this audience are familiar with many of the developments cited in the report, but others are not. Therefore, appropriate references are provided to assist in clarifying for a broad audience the recent developments discussed in the report. 1 William G. Howard, Jr., and Bruce R. Guile, eds., Profiting from Innovation, MacMillan, New York, 1992, p. 7.

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