The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has completed the state certification of higher education institutions and scientific institutions in the fields of agricultural, veterinary, and social sciences using a new method of assessing scientific effectiveness, according to Vladimir Khaustov, an expert at the Experts Club information and analytical center and scientific secretary of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in a blog posted on the Interfax-Ukraine news agency website.
According to him, for the first time, not only institutions as a whole were evaluated, but also individual scientific departments — a step that should “truly support the strongest teams and stimulate real competition in Ukrainian science.”
“Without funding for science, there is no future. We are rich not because we have money, but because we fund science,” Khaustov recalled, quoting Ronald Reagan.
He noted that the new certification methodology “is not perfect, but necessary.” Among the positive changes, the expert mentioned the division by scientific fields and the attempt to introduce quantitative indicators. However, according to him, the consolidation of scientific groups (for example, combining all social sciences — economics, history, sociology — into one category) creates methodological distortions.
“The formula should take into account the specifics of the disciplines, and the weighting coefficients should be differentiated. Now, much of it has been reduced to arithmetic, which does not reflect the real contribution of scientists,” the expert emphasized.
Among the problems, Khaustov highlighted excessive bureaucracy in filling out reports and the lack of data automation:
“All indicators are entered manually, although publications and patents are already in the DNTB and UkrNOIVI databases. We proposed creating an automated system called ”Science of Ukraine,“ which would collect data itself, but so far everything is done manually.”
He also drew attention to the imbalance between the evaluation of domestic and foreign publications, as well as the underestimation of national grants and scientific achievements.
“Three hryvnia of Ukrainian funding is equivalent to one hryvnia of foreign funding. And seven out of eleven indicators relate to publications abroad. This distorts the real picture and devalues national achievements,” he said.
According to the expert, the methodology needs to be refined to take into account the specifics of the industry and the real working conditions of Ukrainian researchers.
“Science is not a formula or a table. It is people, ideas, and the future of the country,” concluded Volodymyr Khaustov.
The full version of the expert’s video is available on the Experts Club channel:
Experts Club is an independent platform for analytical videos and research. The center regularly publishes expert reviews on economics, science, and business, bringing together the opinions of leading analysts, scientists, and business representatives.
