To understand what the reform of sectoral academies of sciences should be, first, the priorities for the development of sectors must be clearly defined – First Deputy Minister Mykola Kizim

The leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science began a dialogue on the further development of academic science in Ukraine and the ways of reforming the system of national academies of sciences with the heads of the NAS and branch academies. So, on August 11, 2020, acting Minister of Education and Science Sergiy Shkarlet met with representatives of the National Academy of Sciences, and on August 13, First Deputy Minister Mykola Kizim on a working visit to the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS).

During the conversation with the President of the NAAS Yaroslav Gadzalo, they discussed how now it is necessary to build the work and interaction of both parties in order to develop clear strategies for the development of agricultural science and the Academy, as well as a plan for reforming the NAAS.

“To understand what changes are needed, first we need to determine the priority directions for the development of this industry and, accordingly, the activities of the academy. These priorities should be based on a thorough foresight study. That is why one of the first steps we propose to create a working group that will make such a forecast and will prepare proposals on the directions. The Ministry of Education and Science, for its part, will provide all the necessary methodological support”, – Mykola Kizim noted.

It is also planned to create a working group on reforming the academy – with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science, NAAS, TsOIV, representatives of business and the public.

“We should not do optimization for the sake of optimization. We must determine which structure is needed for those priorities that will be developed. What is already there for this, what, on the contrary, is not enough, and what needs to be consolidated, reorganized”, – the first deputy minister explained.

Yaroslav Gadzalo expressed confidence that this format of cooperation will be effective, assuring that it is necessary at the level of the academy to begin work immediately.

The parties also discussed the results of the NAAS, its achievements and problematic issues of activity.

“Now we have a problem common to most academic institutions: they are closed in themselves. This should not be so. It is necessary to go out and explain why the state and society need science, what should be its role in the development of economy, medicine, defense and other spheres. If we are talking about NAAS, then, for example, to propose projects for the development of farming and agriculture. It is important to focus on such things now”, – Mykola Kizim emphasized.

In the coming weeks, meetings of the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science are also planned with representatives of other industry academies – medical, pedagogical, legal and artistic.

Source: МESU