The President opened the meeting with a speech and invited everyone to take part in a dialogue on urgent issues and challenges the country is facing. One of the topics for discussion was further development of Pridnestrovie's science.
The President underscored that the efficient development of this and any other sphere regulated by the government requires a complex approach ranging from staff potential to certain material resources. Pridnestrovian State University and other scientific centres of the country require first of all substantial capital investments to the lab equipment designed for quality research.
According to the President, today the government cannot allocate sufficient funds for re-equipment of scientific centres. «We have no resource base to stimulate any research, which is conducted in many countries due to considerable investments," said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
Under these circumstances, both the government and scientific centres are trying to find external financing, including grant programmes. As was noted by the President, a special accent is made on the cooperation with Russia's scientific institutions. «I want us to achieve such a level of cooperation that we can receive Russia's direct assistance for scientific activities at least," said Yevgeny Shevchuk.
Now there are talks with the Russian ministry of education about the transformation of PSU's cooperation with Russian donors. It is talked of receiving grants directly rather than indirectly as is the case now, clarified the university rector, Galina Sandutsa.
«There are talks with Russia over the university's status as an independent entity when applying for grants to Russia's funds.» she said. Besides, negotiations are also under way for PSU taking part in international scientific programmes on the same terms.
On the instructions of Pridnestrovie's Prime Minister, Tatyana Turanskaya, who is head of the Advisory Council on Science and Techniques, Pridnestrovian experts are working out a concept for the transition of the Pridnestrovian science to a grant system. According to Galina Sandutsa, in the event a concept draft is approved at the next council meeting, it will be implemented from 2016 on.
