KAZAKHSTAN: NEW SCIENCE STRATEGY FACES CONSTRAINTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001696 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, ECA, OES/PCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON SENV SOCI KPAO KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: NEW SCIENCE STRATEGY FACES CONSTRAINTS REF: ASTANA 0664 ASTANA 00001696 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. SUMMARY: In a new strategic plan, Kazakhstan's Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education and Science identified future scientific research priorities in the areas of energy, biotechnology, mining and metallurgy, renewable energy, information technology, and agriculture. To achieve its strategic goals, the government plans to award 30,000 university scholarships, acquire modern laboratory equipment, and establish a National Biotechnology Center in Astana. The government also plans to create high-technology parks that combine both scientific research and commercial production, helping move scientific research from the laboratory to the marketplace. Kazakhstani science officials also expressed hope that Kazakhstan and the United States would soon sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, which would facilitate collaboration on a number of projects. END SUMMARY. AN ACADEMY UNDERGOING PHYSICAL AND METAPHYSICAL REPAIRS ¶2. Getting inside the Academy of Sciences in Almaty is harder than getting inside an exclusive New York City nightclub. You need to know someone in order to get past the guard, but the hardest part of all is finding the entrance, since the building is surrounded by metal grate fencing. The Academy has been under reconstruction for three years, with no visible improvement and no estimated completion date. Regional Environmental Officer (REO) could not detect any visible change to the 1950s-era facade since a previous visit in 1993, nor detect any improvement to the antiquated Academy Library. The Chief Librarian led us through a labyrinth of halls with exposed heating pipes and electrical wiring screaming out "fire hazard." ¶3. The Head of the International Relations Department, Professor Bakhtiyar Mynbayev, and the Chief Scientific Secretary, Academician Urishbay Chomanov, said the Academy is developing a new national strategy to promote scientific development in Kazakhstan. Mynbayev complained that since independence, students have chosen to study finance or business in order to make money, but he said more students are now returning to science as job prospects improve. He said that 120,000-150,000 Kazakhstani students graduate from high school each year, of whom more than 30,000 receive government-sponsored university scholarships. Of these, 3,000 study abroad, after which they are obligated to return to Kazakhstan to work. He laughed when asked how long they must work in Kazakhstan after graduation, because, "Kazakhstanis are extremely patriotic and will always choose to live and work in Kazakhstan!" However, he said that in general, scholarship students are required to work for five years after returning from abroad. ¶4. Mynbayev said the Academy is consulting with the Ministry of Education and Science and other relevant ministries to determine Kazakhstan's major scientific priorities, which tentatively include energy, biotechnology, mining and metallurgy, renewable energy, information technology, and agriculture. He said it is not a coincidence that these priorities also coincide with the main sectors of Kazakhstan's economy, because science is seen as a tool to further and enhance Kazakhstan's economic development. INADEQUATE LABS AND LACK OF ENGLISH ¶5. Chomanov said space science and nanotechnology were originally priority areas for scientific research, but the government and the Academy have had to scale back their initial ambitions in these areas and adopt "more realistic and pragmatic goals." (NOTE: Although a draft budget for 2010-2012 allocates 56.7 billion tenge ($378 million) to develop Kazakhstan's space industry over the next three years, the budget earmarks no funds to send a Kazakhstani cosmonaut to the International Space Stations (ISS). As reported in reftel, the planned flight of a Kazakhstani astronaut to the ISS this September has been delayed indefinitely, due to budget constraints. END NOTE.) Chomanov said Kazakhstan's laboratories are inadequate to carry out advanced research in a number of areas, such as nanotechnology or biotechnology. He said modern laboratory equipment is often prohibitively expense, noting that some specialized instruments, such as a nanotechnology scanner microscope with a 300,000x power magnification, cost several hundred thousand ASTANA 00001696 002.2 OF 002 dollars each. ¶6. Nevertheless, Chomanov said the government is committed to upgrading its laboratory equipment and infrastructure. For example, the National Biotechnology Center in Astana has grown to include five national laboratories and 15 university affiliates around the country. In addition, Kazakhstani scientists regularly collaborate with laboratories abroad, although their ability to do so is constrained by their inability to read or speak English. Chomanov acknowledged that this restricts their ability to work in Western countries, publish in peer-review journals, and remain current with scientific research. Mynbayev said the Academy would welcome English-language training for Kazakhstani scientists. SCIENCE FUNDS AND TECHNO-PARKS ¶7. Mynbayev said Kazakhstan supports scientific research through the Science Fund, the Innovation Fund, and regional science funds. He explained that these resources help a project move from the laboratory to the market, with results and products ready for commercial application. Mynbayev, a veteran administrator schooled in the Soviet educational system, observed that capitalist countries invest in science and technology parks ("techno-parks") that facilitate innovation and commercialization. Unfortunately, he said, Kazakhstan's laws, particularly on the protection of intellectual property rights, are "not developed enough" to enable the creation of techno-parks. Mynbayev suggested that Kazakhstan has the potential to develop techno-parks in agriculture, oil and energy, and metallurgy. He lamented, however, that while Russia has created techno-parks for small- and medium-sized enterprises, Kazakhstan does not yet have this capability. Nevertheless, Mynbayev said that Kazakhstan plans to establish 50 "techno parks" over the next five years, and would welcome support from the United States and Europe. SEEKS U.S. HELP AND COOPERATION ¶8. Mynbayev said he hopes that Kazakhstan and the United States will soon sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, because it will make research cooperation with U.S. partners much easier. He said that Kazakhstani scientists are eager to cooperate with American partners on a range of projects, not only in pure science, but also in efforts to bring research out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. He hopes that the United States can help Kazakhstan increase its understanding of how cutting-edge science is conducted in an interconnected, globalized world and said the Academy strongly supports scientific exchanges with U.S. educational institutions. ¶9. COMMENT: The government looks to the Academy of Sciences, handicapped with aging infrastructure, outdated equipment, and staffing shortages, to boost economic development in key sectors. Despite these constraints, we believe that there are commercial and research opportunities in Kazakhstan for U.S. companies, and recommend they consider scientific partnerships with the Academy. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND