Lukashenko Demands Real Results from Science

On August 5, a meeting took place at the Palace of Independence with a working group dedicated to assessing the activities of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Led by the head of the State Control Committee, the focus was on scrutinizing the efforts of scientists along two main lines. First, whether the research has yielded tangible benefits for the real sector of the economy. Second, how the Academy itself is organized. The results, it seems, are not entirely smooth.

The task of addressing these issues now falls to the new leader of the scientific community — former Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Karanik, who will be responsible for this direction.

The President emphasized the need for a stronger connection between science and Belarusian enterprises. Furthermore, scientists must actively engage in developing import substitution. Everything that can be produced domestically should be produced.

The meeting regarding the Academy’s work was not large in scope, though Belarus has a considerable number of scientists.

Most of the participants in the working group—who evaluated the Academy’s activities—are doctors or candidates of sciences, and the majority work in the real economy.

For example, Sergey Krasny is well known for his research in cancer treatment and works at a clinic in Borovlyany. Alexey Kozlov is the Deputy Minister of Industry, overseeing all state enterprises. Education Minister Andrey Ivanets previously worked at the Academy of Sciences, specializing in chemistry. Alexander Kosinets, like the current Academy head Vladimir Karanik, is a surgeon.

Everyone understands the importance of applied research, regardless of the field.

News about this working group’s efforts and the critical approach was first announced in June 2024. Two months ago, the head of the Academy was replaced.

Currently, two deputy presidiums remain vacant. The persistent message is that investments in science are ongoing and will continue, but the return must be different.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated:

"The development of our society and, above all, our economy cannot be imagined without science — not today, and not in the future. This is not only my conclusion, based on the current state of affairs, but also a fact that the entire world recognizes. There have been many opinions about the work of our Academy of Sciences. Some, including former leaders of the Academy and their supporters, evaluated it positively. Others, quite negatively. As a result, a decision was made to thoroughly analyze its activities."

Today, the Academy employs 14,000 people. But can every one of them make a groundbreaking discovery? No. Can every innovation originate from the Academy? Also no. However, if scientists make promises, they must realistically assess their capabilities.

"A significant amount of public funds is allocated to scientific research, but we do not see commensurate results. There are only isolated positive outcomes that fail to be widely implemented in the economy. Today, this is clearly insufficient. In some promising areas, such as unmanned vehicles, electric transport, and so on, we are simply stagnating. The leadership of the Academy promised to deliver results at the level of global standards," the head of state noted.

Lukashenko also pointed out that in some advanced fields, Belarus lags behind other countries, and he demanded that scientists focus on developing ultra-promising areas such as artificial intelligence, neural networks, and biotechnology.

"Let’s focus on what we are capable of," he emphasized.

The head of the working group provided a detailed account of current problems within the Academy. The most critical issue is the lack of role separation, which often leads to research being conducted for the sake of research alone.

Vasily Gerasimov, Chairman of the State Control Committee of Belarus, commented:

"The Academy of Sciences, in its single entity, formulated the list of scientific research programs, acted as both customer and executor, and evaluated results. As a consequence, the share of research for internal needs increased — reaching 83% in 2024. Such studies often end up gathering dust on shelves."

What could truly improve the situation is a direct, functional link between companies, enterprises, holding structures, and scientists — where, in open dialogue, one side articulates its needs, and the other proposes solutions and occasionally initiates projects.

"Science and practice must truly form a symbiosis. For example, the electric lamp did not evolve directly from the kerosene lamp. The manufacturers of lighting equipment at that time could not have ordered research into electricity, as they lacked the knowledge. The incandescent bulb was a groundbreaking achievement in multiple fields: electricity, materials science. Therefore, segmenting research is impossible. This is why a strategic projects council was discussed. Science should not be disconnected from practice, but practice must also set the right questions for science. We must work together," explained Vladimir Karanik, President of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences.

Vladimir Karanik, President of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences

He also noted that the Academy’s functions are extensive — from defining hunting zones in Belarus to participating in the Union State’s program development. The scope ranges from handling radioactive waste to creating technologies for joint ventures.

The key priorities outlined by the President include practical orientation, integration of developments into the economy, import substitution, and export of scientific and technological products.

To "reconfigure" the Academy, the organization of processes and funding has already been reconsidered.

"We clearly defined what will be part of scientific research, what will be applied research, how it will be financed, and how to enhance the roles of not only the Academy but also industry regulators, who should be the main customers for applied projects and responsible for implementation and commercialization. Naturally, this will also impact organizational structure, as the working group found that not everything there is optimal," Vasily Gerasimov added.

Top Achievements of 2024

If we speak of breakthroughs, scientists point to the Academy’s work in materials science, which is vital for microelectronics — an area where Belarus excels. Also notable are developments from the Institute of Physics.

The Institute of Biophysics has devised a new cellular product for treating diabetes. This is only a partial list. Work continues, but it’s clear that the Academy of Sciences is on the cusp of significant change.