News & Events in Belarus

Belarus improves its positions on Knowledge Index

MINSK, 10 April (BelTA) – Belarus is the 45th on the international Knowledge Index, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Anatoly Rusetsky stated at a meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers.

According to the World Bank, Belarus ranks the 45th on the Knowledge Index. In 2009 the country was the 52nd. “Our country is ahead of all CIS countries except Russia in the Knowledge Index which means ahead in the ability to generate, receive and spread scientific knowledge,” Anatoly Rusetsky said.

Belarus is the 59th on the Knowledge Economic Index (KEI). In 2009 it was the 73rd. The KEI means the availability of conditions for effective use of scientific knowledge for economic development in the country. Belarus is inferior in this index only to Russia and Ukraine in the CIS. These estimates prove that the science sector in Belarus functions well and is developing in a dynamic way.

But still there are problems in science, said Anatoly Rusetsky. “First of all, it is research intensity of GDP. Unfortunately, expenses on R&D are lower than the threshold specified in the national security concept. We finance only 0.28% of R&D from the budget, the rest comes from own funds and borrowed funds,” he said. This figure is too low.

In return, First Deputy Premier Vladimir Semashko said that Belarus should pay much attention to the development of science in the absence of abundant mineral resources. Intellectual potential, innovations and R&D can propel the country onto a new level. Yet it is necessary to analyze in detail the role of all scientific institutions and laboratories in R&D to make the science more effective. According to him, it is the professionals who can most effectively integrate academic, university and industry research, strengthen their relations with the manufacturing industry.

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