The Academy of Sciences will get rid of “ballast,” Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences Uladzimir Karanik said after a meeting chaired by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. He was referring to non-core assets. A draft decree on the financing of science was discussed at the meeting.
“In general, the draft decree has been supported. Some of its provisions have been sent for further refinement, including basic funding. Some have been adopted — these include optimization of the structure, the opportunity for teaching activities, and the possibility of increasing additional payments for academic degrees in areas that are priorities for our country,” Karanik said.
He assured that science would continue to receive budget funding, but its amounts would be discussed after optimization.
“Science was funded, is funded, and will continue to be funded. The issue is increasing the efficiency of this process… Today, it was discussed how to link this: either through a budget estimate or through overhead costs in contracts with the real sector of the economy. The state is ready to pay, including for maintaining infrastructure, but within the framework of fulfilling a state order or contractual economic activity, allocating a certain percentage specifically for infrastructure. That is the first point. The second, and key, point that was supported today is that before we discuss the volume of funding for the infrastructure of the Academy of Sciences, we should conduct an audit and help get rid of non-core assets — those things the Academy of Sciences does not need. So that it does not bear overhead costs for maintaining buildings that are unnecessary. When we optimize the structure and remove non-core assets, then we will return to the question of how to finance, within the budget estimate, what requires direct budget funding,” he added.
According to him, the task is to free the academy from “ballast” — things not related to generating new knowledge.
“The Academy of Sciences is a unique structure in our country that operates on the principle of a scientific and production corporation. Some legislative acts do not take into account that the Academy of Sciences has not only a scientific component but also a production one. Accordingly, we are limited in our ability to finance certain areas. The president has instructed us to meet with the Ministry of Finance, the government, and the Presidential Administration and determine how to give the Academy of Sciences the opportunity to develop more dynamically, both in production and in science,” Karanik said.
As for holding a congress of scientists, it may take place at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year.
“The year 2026 was discussed. Or early 2027. For now, as we prepare the congress, we are talking about the second half of 2026. But this depends on the president’s schedule and, to some extent, on our own efficiency — whether we can formulate a clear strategy for the development of national science that can be discussed at the congress. The point here is not simply to gather and talk. The congress must adopt strategic decisions that must be thoroughly thought out and prepared,” he explained.