Research Structure

On this page, incrEAST provides an overview of the research and technology potential of Kyrgyzstan.

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Characterisation of the research system

There are two separate and independent structures in Kyrgyzstan: The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth Policy (MSEYP), and the National Academy of Science (NAS KR), which actually acts as a Ministry in itself and coordinates the branched- and university science, as well as academic institutes. Out of this, an Agrarian science emerged, which is similar as NAS, but exists separately and is directly financed by the Ministry of Finance.

It does not, and is not required to report to any other above stated institutions.

Scientific potential of Kyrgyzstan focuses on 92 independent scientific-technical institutions, organizations, enterprises, higher educational institutions, scientific-production centers, temporary creative teams. About 5000 scientific and scientific-technical experts work in the sphere of science. About 650 of them are doctors and more than 3000 are candidates of sciences. The most respectable research institution is the National Academy of science, 32% of all scientists and engineers work here. It includes 29 different institutions, specialized in the field of fundamental natural, technical and public sciences. The departmental institutions and higher educational institutions represent the branched applied science.

There are 1128 scientists and engineers for 1 million inhabitants in the KR, they are engaged in National Institute Report of the Kyrgyz Republic, it is in average 6,5 time smaller than in other countries with low level of income, Kyrgyzstan is also in the list of these countries. The quantity of scientists and engineers for the million of inhabitants is the same as in Spain and Hungary. In spite of difficulties we were able to keep the scientific potential, representing the different fields of science and technique. According to the data of the Ministry  of Education , Science and Culture of the KR., 55,5% of engineers and scientists of Scientific and research institutions  and Universities in the KR worked in the field of medicine and natural science, 23,5% worked in technical, 10% in agricultural and 11% in public and humanitarian sciences (picture 2).

(picture 2)

Gender correlation of specialists researchers is in favor of male (51,9%). Among them only 15,4% and 42,8% are female. Female doctors in medical science is 21,5% and in humanitarian is 23,8%. The prevailed part of female is doctors in medical science (57,6%), public  science (55,2%) and natural science (46%).

The MSEYP finances 60 scientific- and research institutes of university- and branched science, encompassing 198 scientific projects in the amount of 35.0 million soms (local currency). In 26 Institutes of the NAS KR, 51 projects for about 80.0 million soms are being financed, and in 3 institutes at the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Recourses and Industry (MAWR), 72 projects are being financed for about 12.6 million soms. There are 89 Scientific- and Research institutes and Universities in the KR, which carry 252 of combined scientific projects, with the cost of around 127.6 million soms. According to statistics: for each singular scientific project (no matter as to which entity it belongs to), amounts of 0.18 million-, 1.6, and/or 0.17 million soms are being granted individually. This shows that, in average, the amount spend for each one singular project is close to 8 times larger, than the amount spend and granted on the branched- and universities scientific projects. As a whole, the academic science receives 63% of the total budget, which includes all of the countries science departments and projects. Of this, 27% were distributed to the university’s science departments, while 10 were given for Agrarian researches.

As a result of this weak structure on governmental level, there is a lack of the necessary institution(s) and national structure, in the area of science which counts as one of the most restraining factors in the developments of science in Kyrgyzstan. As a visual sample, we can use and look at the functioning analogical scientific institutions of MSEYP, NAS KR and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR), with their similar divisions, labs, and same scientific program.

All of the above tells us and shows clearly the urgent necessity of radical reform in the sphere of science in Kyrgyzstan.

Research indicators

Science indicators are developed for the strategic program of development of science and innovations for the period 2009-11 (within the limits of new Strategy of development of the country for the specified term), it was prepared in 2008, and it is going to be accepted by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Research indicators of the recourses on the priority level of the country:

• water problems and renewal sources of energy;
• new technologies and materials ;
• informative and telecommunication technologies;
• problems of mountainous territories and mastering of mineral resource;
• biotechnology in medicine and agriculture;
• conceptual problems of public sciences of modern Kyrgyzstan;
• working out the technologies or the usage of organic-mineral and natural resources;
• creation of new materials on the basis of high technologies;
• scientific basis for keeping, restoration and constant usage of flora and fauna in Kyrgyzstan;
• development of agrarian cattle breeding;
• complex evaluation of the risks of life and molecular-genetic basis of diseases of human beings in the conditions of high mountains;

Inclusion of the orders into the list of the proposed state scientific and technical programs, which are going to be in use, can be defined by their coincidence to the priorities, having scientific potential, material and technical basis, which is enough to fulfill the order.

Modern condition of the scientific potentiality, financial, material and technical recourses of the country, needs the strengthening of the aimed approach, being given the budgetary finance of the researches and elaboration, firming the requirements and their coincidence to the priorities of the country and its regions.

The ministries, institutions, departments, and other central- and regional bodies, are the primary customers of the purposed short-, medium-, and long-termed goals of state scientific- and technical programs, which are using currently the science for their own branched problems.

Scientific researches and elaborations, which are being done through the budgetary money and formed through the republican and regional projects, which have been included into the states’ proposed scientific and technical programs.

Research funding system

Financing of science is multi - channeled: the separated line of the republican budget subsidizes scientific institutions of the National academy of sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of rural, water management and a process industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic. Other ministries and departments support their scientific divisions at the expense of off-budget means.

Unfortunately, only 0.11% of the country’s GDP is given to science, which is 10-12 times smaller than in other CIS countries, and 26-40 times smaller than in higher developed countries!

The current law of financing and salaries has brought with it the crisis of the condition in science in this country, and contributed to the “brain drain” of the most capable part of the scientific staff, as well as to the other economic branches, in comparison with other countries.

Today, Kyrgyzstan finances only 3 lines (so called defended items) in the scientific sector of the country, which are: salary, the payment to a social fund, and the payment for municipal services (and this not even fully). As for other items, necessary for normal scientific activities, such as purchase of new and modern scientific equipments and reactives, experimental researches, transports, expeditions, field works, travel expenditures, scientific contacts, trainings of scientific personnel, publications of materials, participations in conferences, and many other, are not being properly financed(only 3-5%).

Source: Mrs. Prof. Dr. Zhyldyz Bakashova, Director, National Library of Kyrgyzstan
Last up-date: 01.08.2009