NAS of Ukraine and sectoral academies need transformation, but changes must be balanced – Kurbatov
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denys Kurbatov has said that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine and sectoral academies require transformation, but such changes must be carried out with extreme caution and balance.
"Everything must change and transform. There are no sectors that were created perfect from the start… This is a very sensitive area—for example, there is a lot of property involved and many interested parties seeking to influence it. Therefore, all changes must be made very carefully and deliberately," Kurbatov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine when asked if the NAS and sectoral academies need reforming.
Clarifying whether the academic environments and presidiums themselves require reform, the deputy minister noted that the process must involve the community, as it contains many progressive thinkers.
"But this must be done for the sake of development. For me, the greatest criterion is the number of young people. If they are absent from an institution, enterprise, or business, it signifies a lack of development. If very few young people are engaged in scientific activity within the academies for various reasons, it is a signal that something needs to change to prevent degradation," he added.
At the same time, Kurbatov stated that the state cannot simply halt the development of institutions that are over 100 years old and have provided Ukraine with many positive solutions and technologies.
"Once, an EU country simply stopped funding its academy on January 1, effectively turning it into a public organization with advisory functions. The institutes were re-subordinated to the relevant ministry. Is it advisable to do something similar now during the war? Do we have a corresponding Ministry of Science and Technology capable of providing quality administration for hundreds of institutions? Would we not lose more than we gain? I don’t know," he noted.
In his view, the Ministry of Education is currently moving in a revolutionary direction through the systematic evaluation of institutes, a fundamental change in their funding mechanisms, and the criteria-based assessment of individual scientists.
"We are currently creating the National System of Researchers of Ukraine, which will also serve as a supplementary system for identifying and supporting the best scientists. Therefore, I believe we are not ignoring this topic, but I do not see a global, cardinal, or political decision at this time," the deputy minister stated.
