News & Events in Belarus

During the tour of the applied research center Alexander Lukashenko was made familiar with the research papers nominated in 2016 for the state science and technology prize. The President underlined that state awards for scientific works should not be bestowed in a perfunctory manner. Otherwise, truly precious R&D products and accomplishments may fall off the radar.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “I would like to act within the framework of honesty and justice and those are based on objectiveness. We are going to have a serious government conference on science. It is necessary to have a look at all the developers. We should pay serious attention to them. If some research works are undeserving of a state prize, I would like you to put them aside — if you can see that the intended effect is colossal and the work deserves at least some attention — think and make proposals about what we are going to do with such people and works. I understand that not everyone deserves a state prize, because it would be depersonalized otherwise. But the effort merits some other kind of remuneration.”

Alexander Lukashenko said he would like the Belarus President Administration to analyze what economic effect the scientific works, which received state prizes in previous years, have produced.

Apart from that, the President mentioned that heads of agencies or organizations are often listed as authors of many scientific works. “I see bosses as authors everywhere. I just cannot understand how the director of an enterprise can find spare time to sit and make wonders,” said the head of state. “I want authors, genuine authors, who deserve it. We don’t want people hanging onto someone else’s glory.”

Alexander Lukashenko was informed in detail about every scientific work nominated in 2016 for the state science and technology prize. The number included projects relating to organ transplantation, production sector, mechanical engineering, agriculture, oil extraction, civil engineering, history, and various technologies.

Many of them represent a fine example of import substitution efforts. For instance, a body of authors from the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has created a bank of genetic resources of agricultural crops and forest plants for the sake of the national food and biological security. The bank can be used to grow mustard in Belarus. Belarusian companies will no longer have to import seeds in order to make the condiment. Apart from that, specialists suggest farming lupine in Belarus. The plant can easily replace soya, which is imported in large amounts.

Another scientific accomplishment in agriculture should be the development and production of machines for soil chemization. As many as 615 machines worth $6.7 million were made in 2015-2016. Half of them were exported.

Works by Belarusian design engineers are worth mentioning, too. Specialists from the Brest State Technical University have come up with an effective metal structure that has been used to build the summer amphitheater in Vitebsk, the Spartak stadium in Mogilev, the building of the National Olympic Committee, the Minsk Arena, and other projects. A short while ago Belarusian specialists designed a dome-like roof for the building of the Tretyakov Gallery.