Increasing interest in science and declining care

The global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is affecting all areas. Undoubtedly, the negative effects are expected. However, along with all the many negative trends, there was a positive one. This has led to an increase in interest in science in the world.

Such that according to the main results of the annual study called the State of Science Index (SOSI), confidence in science and scientists against the background of the pandemic showed the highest level in the last three years. According to the respondents:

- 89% trust science;

- 86% trust scientists;

- 77% agree that science needs more funding as a result of the pandemic;

- 54% agree that science is very important for everyday life; before the pandemic, the figure was 44%).

- 92% believe that it is time for science to take real action to stop the global pandemic, which shows that people's confidence in science has grown.

People are also aware that the way to defeat the COVID-19, which has wreaked havoc on all over the world and paralyzed the free behavior of people on a global scale, is through achievements in science. The main lesson to be learned from this is that confidence in science and its future has increased.

Logically, against the background of growing interest in science, the amount of assistance provided to it must increase in order to meet expectations from science. The justification for this expectation depends on the amount of funding.

Not only states but also private sector entities show great interest in research and development. When companies define their business strategies, they pay special attention not only to the rate of revenue growth and how to increase market share but also to what extent they will finance research projects. Studies show that revenues of companies that spend more than 25% of their R&D (Research and Development) budgets on software for various purposes are growing at a faster pace than their competitors. This highlights the approach expressing the importance of research and development of these companies. Then imagine the education and science expenditures, which are considered a quasi-public blessing, of states...

Let's pay attention to the science expenditures allocated from the state budget of Azerbaijan. Last year's (2020) state budget approved science expenditures in the amount of 193.6 million AZN. However, the addendums and amendments to the budget in August reduced the science expenditures in the state budget for 2020 to 187 million AZN.

In the current year's state budget, science will again be on the corner. In the current year - among the socially-oriented expenditures of 2021, a total of 183.3 million AZN was allocated for science expenditures. This is 0.6 percent of state budget expenditures. We do not even spend 1 manat of the 100 manats of budget expenditures to finance science expenditures. So, we will not have high expectations of science. Because the laws of economics work here as well: the more you invest in any field, the more you form production and consumption in that field.

Compared to other countries, the science expenditures in Azerbaijan is many times less. While the science expenditures in the developed countries of the world vary from 2 to 4 percent of GDP, in our country it does not exceed 0.5 percent of GDP. International reports also clearly state our position. According to the Global Innovation Index 2018, Azerbaijan spent 3% of GDP on education and 0.2% on research and development.

Thus, while the results of the State of Science Index show an increase in interest in science, state care for science is declining in Azerbaijan. How to swim against the current?

Just like us...

I know that “to teach science to the ignorant is to oppress science”, but we say it because we have not forgotten Hazrati Ali...

We must not turn the centers of science into soulless spaces but into the products of a climate of the mind nurtured by freedom of thought. We have no other way!

Mohammed Talibli