Along with love to own house, representatives from different peoples of the world are keen to contribute in prosperity of a common house depending on the sense of unified nation. Each of us consciously or unconsciously, understands that it is better to live in a powerful and rich country rater in a weak and poor. For instance, it is better to live in Austria rather in Somali.
However, namely the people make the country they live strong and prosperous. Probably banal, but it is right. For instance, lack of natural reserves, fertile soil and water (80% of the territory is desert and stony tableland) predetermined a choice of Israelis - to stake in human capital and knowledge. Here are some figures taken from the World Economic Forum on Global Competitiveness of countries Report for 2008-2009: Israel rated 23rd among 134 countries.
In other categories Israel was 24th (higher education in the world), 3rd (quality of national scientific-research institutes), 6th (development and application of innovation technologies and products), 5th (per capita number of patents for discoveries), 13th (education expenses in percent of GDP), 8th (investments of business companies in scientific researches and technologic designs, 9th (number of scientists and engineers). Moreover, the lowest infantile death rate in the world, as well as 5th place for average duration of life is also fixed merely in Israel.
The sheet deliberately includes data related to education, innovative technologies, investments in scientific researches, because these factors become decisive for successful economic development of the country. Products and services of intellectual labor are exported exactly like the traditional goods, bringing tremendous profits to companies and owners of these products (Bill Gates and Microsoft). This tendency continues increasing taking into account globalization of world and intensive exchange of information by the help of international web. It can be named in a numerous ways - new economy, or economy based on knowledge. However, the essence will remain unchanged: intellectual capital has become a product of high demand worldwide. The economic crisis can lower the process only for a while.
Globalization of science and education is part of common globalization processes and in this direction counties with the transition economy can gain a valuable experience, attempting to integrate own science into the world science.
For various reasons, Azerbaijani science stays beyond this process. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of Cold War gave a boost to the collapse of Soviet science and the starting of the process of isolation of the scientific schools of new independent states. For example, in Russia by the events of 1990, the share of research and development accounted for 2 percent of GDP. Just one year later the figure dropped to 1.4 percent, while in 1992 it dropped to 0.7 percent (data from the National Science Foundation of the USA). The same process occurs in all former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijan. The sharp decline in funding from the Public budget, lack of private sector as a source of investment caused a great damage to the national science for several years. Then, in early 1990, outflow of specialists from academic institutions started.
In addition, the Azerbaijani science, which was part of Soviet and has all its pluses and minuses, psychologically could not begin to adapt to the traditions and approaches of Western school within short time.
An important reason for continuing isolation from the world science was a language barrier: formerly the main source of information on developments in world science was the scientific literature in Russian, which the academic scientific research institutes received centrally from Moscow.
Afterwards, this volume decreased to a small number, since the subjects transited to the commercial relationship. On the other hand, familiarity with the scientific literature in English or German was difficult for the vast majority because of poor knowledge of languages.
From 2004 to 2006 within FP6 program (EU initiated in 2002 to create a single European space of research, involving the former USSR countries) and the INTAS (International Association for the promotion of co-operation with scientists from the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union), the young scientists of Azerbaijan took part in several research projects, gained valuable experience with European counterparts. Thus, problems were noticed in analyzing the participation of Azerbaijani scientists in the contest: poor knowledge of English, lack of awareness about the rules of participation and types of projects, lack of confidence in the success and others.
In 2001, INTAS allocated €900,000 on the project on digital libraries, providing quick and free access to European scientific literature (electronic journals, databases). From 2004 to 2006 36 scientific organizations were registered in Azerbaijan and had free access to electronic resources, but despite numerous presentations of the project, only two took advantage of these resources: Institute of Physics and Institute of Information Technologies.
It needs to add to this the aging of scientific personnel in the absence of new, more skilled, absence of financial motivation in the form of the average monthly salary of 130-150 manats, the dilapidation of the material and technical base, and a number of other factors, and then it becomes clear why Azerbaijani science has not close interaction with any of the large research centers in Europe, and Azerbaijani intellectual production is not in demand.
Of course, some processes take place, and despite all the accumulated problems, Azerbaijani scientists continue to conduct research, publish books and articles, attend scientific conferences and fellowships. But, in general, the picture remains grim: still Azerbaijani science has not a position to make due contribution to the development of a competitive economy. Azerbaijan is one of the world's importers of high-tech products (imports computer systems of data transmission), and one of the last places on export of high technology. And once more about the financing: the share of expenditure on research and development in most developed countries over the past few years totaled an average of 2-2.5 percent of GDP, but in Azerbaijan this figure is 0.2 percent (State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan).
It is clear that there is necessity for serious changes. Strategic goal should be demand for knowledge of Azerbaijani scientists, no matter who acquires - government, private business or another country. The Azerbaijani business does not use science as a tool to obtain profits, as it should stand on feet and grow stronger. Investing by private sector in scientific researches and development of advanced technologies equals almost zero. In developed countries their share is 45-75 percent of total investments. Respectively, we cannot export high-tech, because we do not possess it. Nothing is tragic here. Simply we are on the definite stage of development. Given on priorities and common strategy of development and analyzing strong and weak sides, the government should undertake a mission of major consumer of intellectual product of the Azerbaijani science in the initial stage. The government should expect financial benefits from such products.
It might become an important impulse to make science to serve economy with further cutting its separation from the world science.
It is necessary to raise the current level of investing in science from 0.2 percent for instance to minimum European level - one percent of the GDP, in the coming years.
Another important element is training of future specialists. It is necessary to boost investments in education, especially in computerization and Internet access. It would become a brilliant use of oil revenues for the development of the country.
It is only part of measures needed to reanimate science in Azerbaijan. So, the State Program to implement the national strategy on science development in 2009-2015 designed by the National Academy of Sciences will have to answer questions.
We should remember that neither the amount of income, nor social status, but knowledge will be defining in human development.