Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria to visit Uzbekistan. 4
Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea to visit Uzbekistan. 4
Vice-President of European Commission to visit Uzbekistan. 4
PRESIDENCY OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (2015-2016) 4
Uzbekistan creates University of Uzbek Language and Literature. 5
INNOVATIONS
Explored and Embraced
What does it take to make technologies more advanced and cost-effective? In search for the answer to this question, specialists of various organizations and companies have attended the ongoing fair in the metropolitan Uzexpocenter. Visitors are getting acquainted with innovative ideas, projects and technologies, as well as with the overall situation in the domestic science.
The effect is obvious
“From 2007 to 2013, despite the economic crisis that hit the industrialized countries in 2008, investments in research and development scaled up by 31% worldwide. The United States with 28% and China with 28% have been holding the lead in global investment in science. Uzbekistan has been taking a leading position in this field in Central Asia,” noted international experts in the recently published “UNESCO Science Report: Towards 2030”.
Over nine years, more than 3,900 domestically developed products have been presented at the annual Republican Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects, and over 3,100 contracts totaling 112.6 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 17.05.2016, 1$= 2914.10 soums) have been signed.
According to the State Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology, 47% of contracts accounted for the agricultural sector, 38% – various industries, 6% – healthcare and pharmaceuticals, 3% – information technologies, and the rest – for other fields.
O’zpahtasanoateksport, Uzbekneftegaz, O’zkimyosanoat, Uzbekistan Railways, State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources, and others are engaged in the introduction of the products presented at the fair. To date, they have organized the batch production of about 60 items of new products, produced 55 pilot samples, and provided scientific and technical services to more than 100 organizations, companies and farms. The total production of new products amounted to more than 1.8 trillion soums.
Various centers of the Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education and other agencies, along with research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, are focused on the needs of agriculture. Innovations are widely used in practice. Developed in 2007-2012 by the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, the new types of import-substituting fertilizers and defoliants have been introduced in domestic agriculture and exported abroad.
Samarkandkimyo established the production of nitrocalcium phosphate fertilizer, and Navoiazot and Farghonaazot produce nitrogen and phoshate fertilizers. More than 15 new and effective drought-tolerant and disease-resistant high-yielding varieties of cotton by the Institute of Genetics and Experimental Biology of Plants have been successfully cultivated in different climatic zones of the country.
The pharmaceutical sector has been holding the leading positions in the high technologies industry. Institutes of plant chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, chemistry and polymer physics have created highly effective technologies of industrial production of new drugs over the last years. The high-tech production of more than 30 original titles of medicines was established on this platform.
Solar energy has been boosting. Researchers of the Institute of Physics and Technology of the Physics-Sun Association organized the enterprises, which operate under the Institute and are engaged in conversion of solar energy into other useful types, including combined types for generation of electrical and thermal energy, as well as the low-potential types for water heating. Today, the equipment is used by farmers, livestock and bee farms.
There is much to choose this year too: 400 innovations out of over 600 products of the Institute have been exhibited for the first time, and the rest are upgraded solutions.
‘Ecotechnology’ section is the novelty of the fair. It represents more than 50 innovative technologies that ensure the protection, restoration and cleaning of the environment, effective ways of using renewable energy sources.
The attitude to the industrial innovations and scientific samples has changed as well. The Intellectual Property Agency points out to a steady increase in the number of applications for patenting and registration of samples in recent years. The authors tend to protect their products against unauthorized use.
The intellectual property protection system has been streamlined as well. Starting with January, 2016, certain specifics of this work are regulated by the Customs Code. In order to meet the imposed obligations, the Customs Committee is currently creating an intellectual property register.
An Alternative to Agreements
Five or six years ago, the O’zbekozikovkatholding purchased from researchers of the Tashkent Institute of Chemical Engineering the technology of producing low-gossypol cottonseed meal, which is generated during the production of cottonseed oil and used as animal feedstock. To date, the technology has already been introduced in eight oil-extraction plants of the republic. The deal is interesting for the fact that the researchers shared their technology with the purchasers on the basis of a license agreement, and not a contract. It ranks among the first steps of Uzbekistan in implementation of the international experience of building relationships between researchers and consumers of their intellectual work.
The Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology has been introducing researchers to the new format of building relationships with customers on the basis of license agreement, thus promoting it. It allows a customer using the technology for a specified period, while does not limit the developer’s rights and provides a chance to continue working on its improvement.
Meanwhile, the licensed form of relationships has not been popular yet. Experts points out to the underdeveloped domestic license exchange among the main reasons of ineffective participation of Uzbekistan in the international licensed trade of scientific innovations.
Today, the lawyers and legislators of the Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology address other issues of innovative activity as well. In particular, they are currently working on the law on innovations. The act proposes a range of tax and other preferences for enterprises to enable them for the further introduction of advanced technologies.
New Conditions
Entailing renovation of industries, science has been pursuing modernization. The authors of the ‘UNESCO Science Report: Towards 2030’ noted that “In 2009 – 2014, only two research institutes were established in Central Asia, and both are located in Uzbekistan. They meant the Learning and Research Center of High Technologies and Solar Energy Institute. The reconstruction of buildings and installation of new equipment is nearing completion in both cases. The first institution will work in the field of geology, biology and physics, and another one will promote the development of solar energy.”
The authors of the report mentioned the contribution to the development of science of the other, also relatively young research center, which was established in the last decade. The Center for Genomics and Bioinformation has made a worthy contribution to the development of science not just on the regional scale, but globally. The researchers presented the achievements of the team in the field of genetic engineering of cotton, and the first results they have achieved in creation of new varieties of the technical culture using gene knockout technology. They bred a new, high ripening and high fiber quality cotton variety out of conventional variety.
The national science has been developing in step with the times. Nearly 300 research institutions operate throughout the country. Meanwhile, like in the majority of developed countries, research centers are moving to higher education institutions today. The Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan transferred 15 research institutes to universities. The capacity of university research has grown so high that the majority of research institutes seek to organize their research activities in cooperation with university researchers. Today, 72% of the country’s research is concentrated in university laboratories, and three-quarters of scientists work in institutes, universities and academies.
Given the above-mentioned circumstances, five years ago, when the government was approving the program of modernization of higher education institutions and radical improvement of quality of staff training for 2011-2016, it was decided to establish 15 intercollegiate modern laboratories at 14 institutes and universities. Already almost universally finalized the necessary facilities and training. The Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education promises to equip the laboratories with tools of last generation by the end of the current year.
The involvement of teachers, senior researchers, and graduates in research ensures their maximal awareness of the real needs of economy sectors. Moreover, this process attracts young people in participation in the innovative exhibition
Young and Enthusiastic
It so appears that most of the local researchers are of pre-retirement age. Almost all holders of PhD degree have overstepped the age of 40. So the presidential decree, which replaced the two-tier system of training research and teaching staff with the single-stage system in July 2012, has been promoting the rejuvenation of the research staff. Uzbekistan also streamlined the system of turning into science from college, and master’s course has strengthened its role as the most important stage of training research and teaching staff.
The prestige of science has been growing among young people with each passing year. It has become a tradition to arrange a stand of young researchers – graduate students and senior researcher-applicants as part of the fair. Sometimes, the innovations look so ready for implementation, that visitors take interest in when and where they will be introduced. However, the teachers explain that the innovations are not aimed at mass production, but on training of the specialists who are ready to work abreast of the times.
The youth exhibition proves that today, universities graduate the specialists who are ready to not just continue the existing research schools, but also to lay the foundation for the development of new areas of science.
The number of higher education institutions, in which students are engaged in invention robots and robotic equipment, has been increasing. A few years ago, solely the Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent worked in this direction, while today this field has involved the Tashkent University of Information Technologies and Andijan Mechanical Engineering Institute. Students of these universities create design models of urban electric cars, which are available to try at the platform of the exhibition hall.
The full picture of scientific interests of young people is represented at the regional conferences of young researchers, which are held across the country. They are a discussion platform for sharing ideas for each student or senior fellow-applicants.
Much attention has been paid to the support of young scientists, and introduction of mechanisms to promote research into practice. As a rule, every applicant for doctorate dissertation should submit a report on the implementation of results of his research to the Higher Attestation Commission prior to defense of his thesis.
P.S.
Over 600 developments have been exhibited at the Ninth Fair. 400 of them have been presented for the first time, and the rest are upgraded solutions.
The prestige of science has been growing among young people with each passing year. It has become a tradition to arrange a stand of young researchers – graduate students and senior researcher-applicants as part of the fair.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
International cooperation
Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria to visit Uzbekistan
On May 17, 2016, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov in Uzbekistan on a working visit comes.
During the visit a meeting Boyko Borisov and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
The program of the visit of the Bulgarian delegation will also include participation in the opening ceremony of the 20th international exhibition “Oil and Gas Uzbekistan”.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea to visit Uzbekistan
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Hwang Kyo-ahn is to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan on May 19, 2016.
The visit program includes a meeting with the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
It is also planned to hold intergovernmental negotiations, to take part in the ceremonies dedicated to the completion of construction of the largest project of bilateral cooperation – Ustyurt Gas Chemical Complex at Surgil deposit, and to the beginning of works of building the House of Korean culture and art in Tashkent.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Vice-President of European Commission to visit Uzbekistan
On May 18, 2016, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič visits Uzbekistan.
The visit program includes meetings and negotiations at the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade to discuss the state and prospects of development of cooperation in the bilateral and interregional formats.
The EU delegation will also participate in the International Conference “Oil and Gas of Uzbekistan” in Tashkent.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
PRESIDENCY OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (2015-2016)
On accreditation of the media representatives for coverage of the Meetings of the Ministers of Culture, the Board of the Business Council and Council of the Interbank Association of the SCO
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan announces the accreditation of the media representatives for coverage of the Meetings of the Ministers of Culture, the Board of the Business Council and Council of the Interbank Association of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which will take place on June 2016 in Tashkent.
Media representatives wishing to participate in the coverage of the Meetings of the Ministers of Culture, the Board of the Business Council and Council of the Interbank Association of the SCO should send to the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan the following documents:
- a letter of application from the head of the interested mass media addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan concerning on the accreditation of correspondent. The letter should be transferred through the diplomatic or consular missions of the Republic of Uzbekistan abroad or the foreign diplomatic missions accredited by the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- basic information about interested mass media;
- biographic data (CV) of the journalist and passport copy;
- a photograph of the accrediting journalist in 700х700 dpi size (high quality, full face, white or blue background, please send the electronic version to the e-mail sco2016@tiv.uz);
- a completed accreditation form (please send the electronic version to the e-mail sco2016@tiv.uz).
Applications from the media representatives on accreditation will be accepted until 18:00 Tashkent time (GMT+5), June 3, 2016.
Applications received after the deadline as well as with the missing documents or attached photograph and accreditation form of the journalist will not be accepted for consideration.
If the foreign media representatives submit the application on coverage the Meetings of the Ministers of Culture, the Board of the Business Council and Council of the Interbank Association of the SCO but have not received the confirmation on their accreditation from the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it does not justify the arrival to Uzbekistan and their further professional activity.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Society
Uzbekistan creates University of Uzbek Language and Literature
Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi will be created in Uzbekistan.
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a decree on foundation of new university on 13 May. New university will accept first students in 2016-2017 academic year.
The university will be founded on the bases of facultuty of Uzbek philology of National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, faculty of Uzbek language and literacture of Tashkent State Pedagogic University named after Nizami, as well as Institute of languages and literature named after Alisher Navoi of Uzbekistan Science Academy.
New university will train specialists in philology, scientific-pedagogic specialists, highly skilled translators. It will also conduct researches, as well as retraining of the specialists in the sphere.
The university will train specialists on three directions: Uzbek philology, teaching of Uzbek language and literature and Uzbek-English translation.
Scientific-research institute of Uzbek language and literature and Museum of Uzbek language and literature will operate under the educational establishment. The Museum will be created on the base of the State Museum of Literature named after Alisher Navoi of Uzbek Science Academy.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
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