Continuing to develop science and technology: Right

In order to make Vietnam basically become a modern industrialized country in 2020, the Draft of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2011-2020 of the Xth Party Central Committee has assigned a rather 'heavy' task. for science and technology (science and technology).

Although many achievements have been achieved in the past years, in order to carry out the above tasks, the science and technology sector still has a lot of work to do.Vietnam + correspondent had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Quan, Standing Vice Minister of Science and Technology Ministry around this issue.

Many achievements, but 'bleeding' gray matter is a challenge.

- Dear Deputy Minister, over the past time, the science and technology sector has made many contributions to the socio-economic development of the country?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan: In the past 10 years, the science and technology sector has done many things, achieved many important achievements. Including the basic completion of the legal foundation for science and technology activities by building and submitting to the National Assembly through 8 specialized laws. It can be mentioned that important laws such as 2005 Intellectual Property Law contributed to Vietnam's successful WTO accession, the 2008 Atomic Energy Law laid the foundation for a nuclear power plant construction project. Vietnam's first in 2020 .

Regarding the renovation of management of state-level science and technology programs, we have established offices of key state-level programs, well implemented the selection mechanism (bidding), selected topics. On that basis, choose the right task, assign the right person to the executor and can go to the same product of the research task.

In addition, in all economic and social fields, science and technology has also been applied, bringing good results. For example, in agriculture, MARD leaders rated science and technology as contributing about 30% of the added value of agricultural products. In industry, we have a number of regional and world-class products such as 32 Bit control chip, 60m water floating drilling rig, 1200 ton large load crane system, hydraulic cylinder to help the project. Son La hydroelectric plant went into operation 2 years ago .

- Achieving many successes, but there are still limitations. According to Deputy Minister, what is the resistance, restraining the development of national science and technology in the present time?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan: Science and Technology industry still has 3 big issues that need attention.

First, it is the low level of total social investment for science and technology. Currently, the majority of investment funding for science and technology is from the state budget. This greatly affects the autonomy of scientific units and scientists as well as the effectiveness of research tasks.

Currently, using state budget funds, financial procedures and regulations are not appropriate with the characteristics of science and technology activities. We still use the financial mechanism of administrative agencies to apply for science and technology without taking into account the specific characteristics of the industry such as risk, risk, latency . Meanwhile, investment from businesses , society may have a more open mechanism but not yet mobilized how much. Therefore, scientific organizations do not have enough funds to invest in developing facilities, research and international cooperation.

Secondly, the awareness of society and management leaders about the role of science and technology is currently not commensurate with the position of science and technology in the economy. Many localities have not yet used the right development investment fund for science and technology, have not yet allocated enough payrolls for scientific management agencies and public non-business units, but there is no leadership structure. Scientific mandarins go to the committee level. We also do not have preferential policies for research scientists that have results put into production.

The third is that the income of science workers is too low compared to the average level. Non-salary scientific staff prescribed by the state has almost no allowance regimes such as other industries such as vocational allowances, seniority, responsibilities . Meanwhile, those who conduct scientific research activities only basic salary according to the prescribed rank. This will discourage, do not allow scientists to wholeheartedly focus on research.

Currently, the brain drain in science is quite serious. Many young and competent officials do not want to work at state agencies but work for foreign businesses and organizations. The risk of a shortage of good researchers starts to appear.

How to 'stop bleeding'?

- So, with your role, has the Ministry of Science and Technology proposed to overcome the above disadvantages, Deputy Minister?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan: Over the past time, the scheme for management and innovation of science and technology activities has also mentioned, and we have also tried to solve these problems. Currently, we are developing a sector development strategy to 2020, which will take specific measures to continue to overcome.

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For example , in order to increase social investment for science and technology, we propose to have sanctions, through the provisions of the Law and the Decree, to require enterprises to set aside a profit before tax ( about 10%) establish a science and technology development fund for themselves or contribute to the local science and technology development fund. Thus, together with state investment, we will have an investment increase of 3-4 times compared to the current. Ministry of Science and Technology strives to 2020, social investment for the industry is about 2% of GDP, nearly 3 times higher than the current (currently about 0.7- 0.8% of GDP, of which the state invests 0, 5%, society is 0.2-0.3% of GDP.

We are also developing a scheme to renovate the financial mechanism for science and technology. In which, the content, norms and procedures for financial expenditures are clearly defined in accordance with the specific characteristics of scientific and technological activities, so that scientists can maximize their capabilities, to be High financial autonomy and not too dependent on complicated financial procedures today. We also develop a policy of appreciation and use of scientific staff, including autonomy and incentives for scientists assigned by the state .

In addition, continue to promote the implementation of Decree 115/2005 / ND-CP to really assign the highest autonomy to science and technology organizations and scientists, to create many scientific enterprises and technology under the provisions of Decree 80/2007 / ND-CP creates a new production force with high labor productivity and high added value.

Thus, it is expected that the science and technology industry will develop in a sustainable way, the scientists make peace of mind to work.

- At present, we have built 17 key laboratories, of which 15 have completed the investment phase and come into operation. How do these key laboratories be effective as in the proposed new SEDP?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan: Key laboratory system is very important for each country. This is a large type of technology organization with high autonomy. Therefore, in order for it to work, it must give it the appropriate mechanism that we call an open mechanism.

In fact, most of our key laboratories still operate under a closed mechanism. The state invests in a school, research institute, a key laboratory and people consider it their own. This means that, only the school's staff, the institute has the right to use and exploit, and outside scientists hardly participate in this process. Although, the scientific staff of that unit may not fully exploit the capacity and operational efficiency of the equipment already invested.

I think that, only on the basis of creating an open mechanism for all domestic science workers, strong scientific groups of different regions to have the right tasks to meet the objectives of the laboratory are all entitled to Go there to study. Thus, making the most of equipment and capacity of key laboratories.

- Does the Ministry of Science and Technology have a mechanism yet, sir?

Vice Minister Nguyen Quan: Yes. We have issued regulations on organization and operation of key laboratories, established key Laboratory Councils, directly assigned research tasks to this laboratory. In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology also issued various regulations such as financial mechanism, human resources, recurrent expenditure of key laboratories .

However, these laboratories have a managing agency, a leading agency, and through many layers of intermediate management, the autonomy of this laboratory is still very low.

A difficult thing is that the management regulations are issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, but the direct management agencies are institutes, schools and managing ministries. And so, if these units do not actively direct the implementation of the open mechanism, the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology are also difficult to come into practice.

Thank you, Vice Minister!