Research Policy

In this section, incrEAST offers information on national research policies, structures, programmes and organisations in Kazakhstan.

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Context of research policy

Context of the research policy in Kazakhstan for the period 2007-2012 is divided on two steps as follows:

• 1st stage – stage of the institutional modernization: 2007-2009, and
• 2nd stage – stage of sustainable development – 2010-2012.

Stage-by-stage realization of the governmental program of the science development in the country will provide the country on the first stage with the following positive achievements:

1. Unified coordination and management of the scientific-research program;
2. re-orientation of research to scientific priorities approved by High Scientific Technology Committee under Government of the RK (hereinafter HSTC);
3. balanced funding of research by public and private sectors through the calls for proposals and tenders;
4. re-orientation of research to product competitive products on scientific markets;
5. making transparency on selecting RTD projects and programs during the calls for proposals and tenders;
6. creation of necessary legal base to attract private investment and coordination to RTD;
7. making necessary structural changes to produce high technological and science intensive production with high added value;
8. creation of five national scientific laboratories of open types based on advanced scientific centers;
9. creation of fifteen scientific laboratories of engineering profile based on advanced high schools;
10. increasing of activity of high schools to realize 50% of funding of RTD programs of the republican and branch levels;
11. involving into active scientific research work not less than 10% of students of the high schools as assistants to researchers and teachers;
12. creation of conditions for promising students to research activity;
13. development of instruments to protect intellectual property rights of scientists to escape plagiarism and stealing of scientific idea;
14. creation of system of material stimulation and encouragement;
15. additions and changes in normative legal documents regulating training and attestation of scientific staff
16. transition to train of scientific and scientific and pedagogical staff in accordance to master and doctoral programs;
17. increasing number of students in PhD and doctoral programs;
18. development of grant system of funding of research involving private sector as cofunding mechanism;
19. commercialization of the scientific results of the research;
20. implementation of Good Scientific Practice and Good Laboratory Practice;
21. making of scientific-research report standards equal to international research and management standards;
22. transparency of scientific technology information for international community.

The second stage will be indicated by the following:

1. Joining of Kazakhstan to the 50 competitive countries of the world by the index of knowledge using in economy;
2. implementation of international standards of management research activity in usual practice of national scientific centers and using it as compulsory condition for accreditation of non-governmental scientific organizations;
3. creation of scientific centers with participation of foreign investors;
4. functioning of open laboratories at the national research centers, where any scientists can work, and can show full process of the research procedure;
5. increasing of domestic technology development realized by the domestic companies up to 50%;
6. increasing of  trainings for scientists of the republic in advanced countries abroad up to 20%;
7. increasing and strengthening of scientific infrastructure, improvement of research staff; providing domestic RTD system with high skilled scientific personnel;
8. achievement of increasing of GDP up to 50% by ratio of RTD and up to 1,5-2% by increasing scientific products and scientific innovation activity in structure of GDP to 2012.           
   

Research policy: objectives and priorities

Main branches of the Kazakh economy are oil and gas, metals and mining, and agriculture. Therefore scientific and technology programs should first develop these branches, including the programs on petrochemistry, oil and gas and mining-metallurgical engineering.

In 2002 the government of Kazakhstan, taking into account needs of socio-economic development of the country and tendencies of the development of global science, has adapted five priorities of researches, which are still actual, and will not be changed until  2012:

1. Information technologies:
   a. Creation of fundamental bases of space monitoring and geo-information technologies for the decision of problems of management, search ecology and rational use of natural resources
   b. Development of safe and effective information systems
2. New perspective materials:
   a. Creation of materials with the set properties methods of chemical technology from hydrocarbonic and mineral raw material
   b. Creation of materials on the basis of nanotechnologies
   c. Reception of pure materials and alloys with the set structure
3. Mineral resources:
   a. Fundamental bases of opening, development and deep complex processing of mineral raw material in conditions of an exhaustion of a mineral-source of raw materials with reception of competitive production of the raised marketability on the basis of metals
   b. Development of scientific bases of rational water supply and water use of natural economic systems of Kazakhstan
4. Development of theoretical bases of molecular biology, genetics and bioengineering to solve actual problems of medicine and agrarian sector:
   a. Fundamental bases of structure and genome function and the major biopolymers of a cell, genetics and physiology of organisms for development of highly effective methods of diagnostics and treatment of especially dangerous diseases, bioengineering methods of creation of sustainable productive grades of agricultural plants and breeds of animals.
5. Theory and practice of national idea as bases of sustainable development of modern Kazakhstan:
   a. National idea as a spiritual basis of rallying and integration of peoples of Kazakhstan, harmonious development of the individual
   b. Development of national system of continuous education in conditions of the changing world
   c. Model of sustainable social and economic development of republic on the basis of national idea
   d. System of national interests of the state, its basic geopolitic priorities and orientations, major factors and measures of maintenance of national safety of Kazakhstan
   e. Principles and the concept of political stability and consolidation of the Kazakhstan society

The State long-term and medium term Scientific and Technical programs oriented in the following directions:

• Food maintenance for the country;
• Material providing;
• Energy;
• National security;
• Quality of Health care system;
• Employment of population;
• Transport and communications development;
• Competitiveness of economic system

Policy making and coordination

Main policymaker in the field of research in Kazakhstan is High Scientific Technology Committee (HSTC) headed by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, which includes all ministries of Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Education and Science is Secretary to the Committee. After the HSTC political decisions can be done by one of chambers of the Parliament. Main law on science is adapted by joint discussion of both chambers. The law is prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science. Then the law is agreed by all relevant ministries, by the HSTC, and only after approval of Majilis (Assembly or lower chamber of the Parliament) it is send to be signed be the President. Then it is managed and coordinated by Minister. Some agreements, for example the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and RK, are coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For the last time Ministry of Industry and New Technology became more responsible for innovation and new technology policy in Kazakhstan. It plays more and more significant role in innovation and new technologies sectors. The Ministry coordinates realization of main national program of Kazakhstan “Strategy of industrial and innovative development of Kazakhstan”, which was adopted by the Government for 2003-2015. The Action Plan of the Program includes creation in Kazakhstan number of technology platforms and clusters to realize innovation programs and involve into Kazakhstan economy the foreign investments, and bring Kazakhstan into line of most competitive countries.

New structure of the S&T management in Kazakhstan proposes that HSTC will coordinate overall S&T development policy in Kazakhstan, Ministry of Education and Science will be responsible to carry out an audit of the science development, and will responsible for R&T development and evaluation of S&T capacity of Kazakhstan.

This coordination structure also will involve the key S&T stakeholders in Kazakhstan, such as National Innovation Fund and Fund of Science.

National research programs

Basic program of the science development in Kazakhstan is ‘Science development program in Kazakhstan for 2007-2012’ adapted by the Government of Kazakhstan on 20th June 2007. It is the main document managed by government, which foresees all matters concerned to the science development in Kazakhstan for the mentioned period. Its main content is shown above.

The Program includes development of 15 specific S&T programs, which will be mainly funded by the government to realize the following main tasks:

1. Establishment of 5 national laboratories, working out full technology processes from basic research up to creation of new competitive products
2. Support for S&T infrastructure
3. Support for S&T stuff
4. Protection of intellectual property rights
5. International S&T cooperation
   

Source: InExCB-KZ
Last up-date: 11 October 2010