BELARUSIAN ECONOMY & TRADE

Scientists of Belarus have prepared 25 projects which they intend to implement jointly with their colleagues from the Ural Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The projects were discussed on March 25^th in Yekaterinburg at a meeting of scientists of the Ural Department with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorskiy. The meeting was attended by Head of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Mikhail Miasnikovich.

As the Head of the Belarusian Government noted, the innovation path of economy development is the Republic’s priority. Belarus carries out modernization works in machinery construction, develops and supports microelectronics which stands competition on the market of the South-Eastern Asia. Annually Belarus renews no less than 20-30% of product. Best scientific developments are introduced into production; every company has its own business plan. Investments in 2004 amounted to $8bln. The budget ensures 3% of its expenditures on science every year. There are material rewards and grants for scientists in Belarus.

In November 2005 Belarus plans to launch a satellite equipped with its own electronics and optics, Sergei Sidorskiy told the meeting.

03/03/2005

ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES OF BELARUS AND CHINA SIGN SCI-TECH COOPERATION PROGRAM

(on the information from BelTA)

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Belarus and the Academy of Sciences of China signed sci-tech cooperation program March 2 in Beijing. On the part of Belarus the document was signed by the first deputy chair of the NAS presidium Piotr Vityaz, who is a member of the official Belarusian delegation led by foreign minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov.

The sides have also concluded the memorandum on cooperation between Belarus’ republican center of technology transfer and the center of sci-tech exchange of the PRC.

As deputy head of the information department of the Belarusian foreign ministry Ruslan Esin informed, the documents were signed during Belarusian delegation’s visit to the research institute of Huawei company which is located in Beijing’s high-tech zone. Huawei along with ZTI company is the major producer of telecommunication equipment in the PRC and takes part in several projects in Belarus.

02/03/2005

ON COOPERATION BETWEEN ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES OF BELARUS AND CHINA

(on the information from BelTA)

Academies of sciences of Belarus and China determine new areas of cooperation for the next tow years. The program of the sci-tech cooperation by 2006 will be signed during an official visit of foreign minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov to the People’s Republic of China. The Belarusian delegation also includes first deputy head of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Piotr Vitiaz who will conduct the negotiations with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and sign the program.

According to the information given by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to China Anatoliy Kharlap, the document will include undertakings aimed at organization of the Belarusian-Chinese joint research centers.

The program will promote cooperation between the scientific organizations of two countries as well as implementation of joint projects in the area of bio and information technologies, environmental protection, and new materials.

Expansion of the Belarusian-Chinese contacts in the sphere of science and technologies should give a new impetus to the mutual trade turnover’s growth, Anatoliy Kharlap said.

At present the Belarusian-Chinese commission effectively coordinates links in this sphere. It considered more than 500 joint projects and determined 200 of them as of mutual interest.

Serious work on creating a legal base of scientific-technical relations has been recently done, Anatoliy Kharlap noted. In 1992 Belarus and China signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the sphere of science and technologies. Later the two states signed other agreements aimed at cooperation with the provinces of Shangdong, Henan and Heilongjiang. Anatoliy Kharlap took note of the importance of the Belarusian-Chinese technical zone set up in 2000 in the province of Shangdong.

BELARUS PLANS TO EXTEND EXPORT OF NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTS TO GERMANY

(on the information from BelTA)

Belarus plans to extend export of the national software to Germany, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Germany Vladimir Skvortsov informed.

“Belarus has great potential in the area of supply of the Belarusian intellectual products to the German market. The Belarusian embassy has been actively working on increasing export of services in the field of programming,” the diplomat emphasized.

According to him, the Belarusian-German scientific relations have been developing quite intensively. Now the terms of conduction of a regular sitting of the Belarusian-German working group on sci-tech cooperation are under discussion. Drafting of special agreements on various aspects of cooperation in the field is underway as well.

Close cooperation has been established between Belarusian and German innovation centers. Information about Belarusian innovation projects is regularly placed on Internet-sites of the scientific-research centers of Germany, Vladimir Skvortsov added.

23 February 2005

ON ACHIEVEMENTS OF INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS OF NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF BELARUS

The Institute of Physics spent almost 4 billion of Belarusian roubles on research-scientific and developmental works in 2004. In 2004 the Institute of Physics of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences performed research-scientific and developmental works on the sum of 3 859, 6 million roubles, 45% of which were received on the conditions of economic contracts. According to the director of the Institute, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician Nikolai Kazak, owing to the execution of only two state scientific and technical programs “Lasers” and “Laser Systems” the executing agencies put out production worth near $1 mln.

Some developments have been performed within such programs as “Identification”, “Belarusian Etalons”, and “National System of Environmental Monitoring”, state program of minimization of consequences of Chernobyl disaster. According to the scientist, it is difficult to name a sphere of the Belarusian economy where the developments of the Institute are not used.

The rich scientific experience have been accumulated for 50 years (on the 17^th of January the Institute marked it’s 50s birthday), that allowed it to become a “trendsetter” in the development of scientific and innovation trends in medicine, ecology, industry and agriculture.

In particular laser-optical technologies and equipment essentially define the scientific and technical progress of Belarus. Each year the volume of laser output and production with the use of lasers constitutes near 15 millions of dollars, about 10% of these articles are delivered to non-CIS states. During the previous year the Institute delivered some recent devices of low-intensive laser therapy for treatment of wide range of diseases – “Aibolit”, “Rodnik – 1”, laser retinal stimulator into the repetition work. All these developments are patented in Belarus.

The technical economic basis for the creation of trial installation for the production of the sweetener “Vartamil” at the lump sugar complex in Slutsk is prepared. That technology, developed by the physics, doesn’t have any prototypes in CIS countries and opens principally new branch of industry, and gives an opportunity to refuse of the purchase of raw sugar. “Vartamil” is patented in Belarus and passed the novelty and utility examination in the European Patent Agency.

For the first time in the world lasers /violet and blue areas of the spectrum / on geterostructures from nitride of the gallium, brought up on silicon substrates have been created by the Belarusian and German physics. This discovery allows to make a hitch in the sphere of cheap light-emitting devises creation in the whole visible region of the spectrum and creates perspectives for the development and production optoelectronic devices integrated with silicon.

A number of important results, which won the recognition of the world, have been obtained in the Institute during the time of its existence. The Belarusian physics developed a theory of luminescence and absorption of light by the solutions of complex molecules and semiconductors, developed a range of methods and created complexes of equipment for the laboratory and natural plasma investigation, including the motion of space objects. The scientists of the Institute of Physics predicted and received laser generation on the dye solutions, realized the principles of creation of lasers with fluent attuning of frequency, including lasers with dispersed feedback. They also were the first who studied the physical basis of dynamic holography, discovered the phenomenon of the circulation of light beams front during the four-photon interaction.

During the last year 8 patents and 20 requests were received by the scientists. Such level of investigations and developments is accounted for the great intellectual potential. It is necessary to note that over 200 persons out of the Institution's staff are scientists, of them 5 are academicians, 4 are corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences, 42 professors and 105 doctors.

21/02/2005

BELARUS INCREASES SCIENCE FUNDING BY 31% IN 2005

(on the information from Interfax)

Budget expenditures on science in 2005 will increase by 31% against 2004 to make BYR 253 billion, has informed the Cabinet of Ministers of Belarus. The volume of science funding was set in the governmental resolution No. 153 February 11, 2005.

The government reports, the structure of expenditures remained unchanged if compared with 2004, while the financing of some items grown proportionally by 25-30%.

In particular, fundamental research funding will get BYR 235.5 billion, design works – BYR 101.2 billion. Besides, the expenditures on innovation projects will be covered with BYR 11.7 billion of budget funds.

The sum also includes the funding for international scientific and technical co-operation (BYR 8.7 billion) and personnel training (BYR 6 billion) and archive maintenance (BYR 2.9 billion).

15/02/2005

ON PARTICIPATION OF BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF INNOVATIONS, INVESTMENTS IN MOSCOW

(on the information from Interfax)

Belarusian State University is taking part in the 5^th International Innovations and Investments Fair in Moscow on February 15-18, the head of the press service of the university Olga Shedrina informed.

The BSU will present about 60 developments, including 14 latest scientific and technical innovations that will take place in the contest of innovation projects and inventions, the source reported.

The university’s innovations belong to the following fields: medicine and healthcare, industrial equipment, environment protection, agriculture, food industry, information technologies, analytical and control instrumentation, chemical industry, life safety.

Moscow International Innovations and Investments Fair is Russia’s largest scientific and technical exhibition.

The participants in the fair include representatives of federal, regional and municipal authorities, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, delegations from Canada, Belgium, China, South Korea, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Estonia. It is the third time the BSU is taking part in the fair.

10/02/2005

MINSK HOSTS EDUCATION AND CAREER SPECIALISED EXHIBITION

(on the information from Interfax)

The third specialized exhibition Education and Career will be held in Minsk February 17-19, deputy director general of Expoforum Exhibition Company Irina Savina informed.

“The key goal of the exhibition is to inform the youth about most wanted professions and help them choose a higher educational establishment, language course or a place to study abroad,” she said.

The exhibition will feature the following themes: vocational training, extra-curricular activities, educational courses and technical means of education.

“The leading universities of Minsk have already submitted their applications for participation,” Irina Savina said.

The programme of the exhibition includes master-classes, seminars, presentation of educational establishments, etc.

27/01/2005

BELARUSIAN NATIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY RECEIVES ISO 9001-2000 CERTIFICATE

(on the information from BelTA)

The conformity certificate of management quality system to the requirements of the international standard ISO 9001-2000 has been granted to Belarusian National Technological University (BNTU). This is the fist time in Belarus an organization involved in scientific activity under a higher educational establishment – the BNTU research department – elaborates and introduces a management quality system, which corresponds to the requirements of the international standards, deputy head of the committee on standardization, metrology and certification under the Council of Ministers Aleksei Klimenkov noted handing in the document to rector of the university Boris Khrustalev.

The representative of the state standard committee has underlined that introduction of the quality management system determines conduction of assessment, systematization, management, improvement and control over all types of activities aimed at increasing competitiveness of sci-tech developments.

Belarusian National Technical University has 7 certification bodies. Along with that out of 45 testing laboratories 11 have been accredited in line with the national metrology system. This shows that together with the education and scientific processes the university pays attention to practical settling of many production issues. In particular, the BNTU certification bodies have already issues over 10,000 certificates, Alexei Klimenko noted.

05/01/2005

Reputation Influence Choice

Belarusian scholars take part in the search of new basic elements

Specialists at the Andrey Sakharov International State Ecological University developed 100 analogue-and-digital chips per an order from the Moscow State University Nuclear Research Institute. The chips are designed for registering information from gas detectors when experimenting in the field of high-energy.

According to Mikhail Baturitsky, Chairman of the Radio Ecology Chair of the Sakharov University, scientists from various countries independently discovered that substance particles consist of not two or three elements, as it was previously believed, but five. Pentoquarks (the name scholars gave to the newly discovered parts of a substance) have been found through several experiments, with the help of charged particle accelerators. Russian scholars of the High Energy Physics Institute experimented using a proton accelerator detector. Meanwhile, the experiments revealed only episodic appearances of pentoquarks. Further experimenting is required to register this as a regular phenomenon.

Moscow requested Belarusian scientists' help in this matter, as Belarus has a strong microelectronics school. Earlier, the Sakharov University supplied similar chips to the US for conducting the D0 experiment and to the European Centre for Nuclear Research for the COMPASS project. "Since the experiments are being successfully implemented we can conclude that the Belarusian chip is reliable," stated Mr. Baturitsky.

He said that should the existence of pentoquarks be confirmed, the world's science would face a real revolution. Experience shows that fundamental discoveries in the fields like electricity, nucleus physics, laser, computers, and the currently investigated one, are of paramount importance for humankind.

Common Miracle

Representatives of several medical specialisations – traumasurgeons, ophthalmologists and dentists, pin their hopes on the biogel – the revolutionary development of the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

"Let's say a fractured bone requires an increased quantity of calcium and phosphorus. Our bio-gel is the best source of these substances," says the Deputy Scientific Director of the Institute, Ph. D. of Chemical Sciences, Anatoly Kulak. "The surgeon usually injects it into the 'place of destination' and bones knit faster. Judging by clinical trials, even the most serious fractures previously causing pains to patients for years heal well in 9 months." On the desk of Anatoly Kulak the "know-how" is presented in its four forms: colloidal solution, gel, paste and ophthalmologic implant. These are the forms of hydroxyapatite synthesised by Belarusian scientists and in nature found in corals. Here, we refer to the popular today nano-chemistry — creating a uniquely high bioactive material with minute particles. Not only trauma surgeons compliment the miracle gel: dentists have also found that it helps treat parodontosis, encouraging gums to rehabilitate after dental root removal. While ophthalmologists have successfully implanted endo prostheses covered with hydroxyapatite to 23 patients from Minsk, Gomel and Vitebsk. According to one of the "artificial coral" developers, Larisa Lesnikovich, it is yet to demonstrate its healing effect in various spheres. If you dry out the gel, you would get a full-fledged analogue of the human bone without extra genetic data — protein and fat. This makes it an ideal implant which is not expected to get seized by the body.

Scientists in many countries are working on something similar, but with respect to price-quality ratio, the biogel by the Institute on General and Inorganic Chemistry is beyond any comparison. In the West, doctors use even natural corals and the final price of the product reaches $1,000. In Belarus, the cost is as low as one fifth, with similar consumer characteristics. Moreover, the Belarusian scientists managed to obtain the so-called live hydroxyapatite without thermal treatment in conditions close to natural to the maximum extent — it is a great achievement. However, our chemists would like to share the recognition with their business partners from the Research Institute of Powder Metallurgy who created a ceramic base for the implants having no counterparts in the world, with specialists from BelMAPO, who tested the biogel in practice, and with Belmedpreparaty Company, who has already commercialised the new technology. The Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry intends to open its own production sector for producing biogel for individual patients with individual case histories.

Unique Spots on European Map

Ten Belarusian territories included into the Pan-European network of important plant areas

The 1,500-hectare Blue Lakes reserve with twelve special water composition, blue-coloured lakes (Minsk region), the Yelnya hydrological reserve – one of Europe's largest swamp territories - (Vitebsk region), the Gorodok highland with its unique system of moraine-lake-hill landscapes, lakes and marshes (Vitebsk region), the Belovezhskaya Puscha National Park where flat-level deciduous woods with connate plants have been partially conserved (Brest region), and the Pripyatsky national Park representing all types of woods and swamps occurring in Polesie (Gomel region) have been recognised as unique. Among other objects that were registered as important plant areas are the Berezin biosphere preserve with 800 plant species, 250 moss species and 200 lichen species (Vitebsk region), the Polesie State Radiology Preserve (Gomel region) with deciduous forests and bottomland ecosystems of the Pripyat river and Belarus' unique water and littoral plant communities, the Sopotskinsky preserve (Grodno region) whose biological diversity was formed by a strong Atlantic influence, the Nalibokskaya Puscha (Minsk region) notorious for its species diversity and the Svisloch-Berezin (Mogilev region) old deciduous forests that might be converted into a national park soon.

According to Oleg Maslovsky, regional co-ordinator of the international project for the protection of the Belarusian plants, the important plant areas were picked based on European criteria adopted three years ago by the international plant protection organisation, Planta Europa. Three basic factors were taken into consideration when examining the territories. The experts paid attention to flora species rare not only for Belarus, but for Europe on the whole. The ecosystems specifics were also taken into consideration: forests with unique species, bottomland woods, lake and small rivers systems were focused on. General species diversity was the third criterion.

The necessity of specifying important plant areas of Europe emerged in 1995 in recognition of the appearance of the continent's totally new system of protected natural territories. Presently, efforts are being made to select basic territories in Great Britain, Greece, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia, Slovenia, and Turkey. In 2002, Belarus was chosen as the first Eastern European country to implement the pilot project.

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BELARUS INCREASES SCIENCE FUNDING BY 31% IN 2005

ON PARTICIPATION OF BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF INNOVATIONS, INVESTMENTS IN MOSCOW

MINSK HOSTS EDUCATION AND CAREER SPECIALISED EXHIBITION