This is one of the serious findings that emerged from the report on the state of science in Israel submitted by the National Academy of Sciences to the President of the country
From the right: Academy member and Chairman of the State of Science Report Committee, Prof. Reshef Tana, President of the State Mr. Yitzhak Herzog, President of the Israel National Academy of Sciences Prof. David Harel and Vice President of the Israel National Academy of Sciences Prof. Margalit Finkelberg at the presentation of the State of Science in Israel report. C/2022 to the President of the State in his office.
The Israeli National Academy of Sciences submitted last night, February 28, 2023, the report on the state of science in Israel 2022/XNUMX to the President of the State, Yitzhak Herzog. The report was submitted by the president of the academy, Prof. David Harel, his deputy, Prof. Margalit Finkelberg, and the chairman of the committee that was entrusted with its preparation, member of the academy, Prof. Rashef Tana. The three-yearly report, which is published as required by the Academy Law, reviews the state of science in the country, points out achievements, gaps and challenges, and is accompanied by recommendations for the advancement of scientific research in Israel.
A special committee and sub-committees under it worked on the preparation of the report for about two years. The twenty-three members of these committees are senior researchers in Israel from a variety of scientific fields. In their work, they met with dozens of officials in the higher education and scientific research system in Israel.
Key findings:
In about a decade: Israel dropped from second place to twenty-first place in the OECD countries in the national expenditure for academic R&D as a percentage of GDP.
Israel is in the thirty-ninth place in the rate The increase in national spending on academic R&D In the last fifteen years - among the lowest in the OECD countries.
In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the number of faculty members In the exact sciences and life sciences and medicine, while in the humanities and social sciences the increase is only moderate.
Israel is in the thirty-second place in the OECD in the rate The foreign PhD students.
In about a decade: a number The students in the humanities subjects decreased by dozens of percent.
only about half from the doctoral students in social sciences receive a scholarship, and the average amount of the scholarship is NIS 4,000 per month.
Higher education institutions are in increasing competition with The high-tech industry on researchers and research students.
The rate of College graduates Among bachelor's degree graduates in most fields it is more than 40%; About 20% of doctoral students in universities are bachelor's degree graduates from a college.
Israel has considerable achievements, but it lags behind many countries in its investment in scientific research
The Academy's report points to considerable achievements of Israeli science that testify to its excellence, mainly thanks to the human capital in the research institutions in the country. However, Israel tends to achieve less than those of reference countries similar to it in terms of demographic and physical size and which have a high scientific intensity, such as Switzerland, Singapore and Denmark.
Therefore, the report emphasizes the need for a considerable increase in the national investment in basic research to allow Israel to maintain a leading and competitive position in world science and even improve it. Such an investment should focus on increasing the budgets directed to research grants and expanding the advanced research infrastructures available to Israeli researchers.
There has been a considerable increase in the number of faculty members in the exact sciences and life sciences and medicine and only a moderate increase in the humanities and social sciences
The report emphasizes that this situation requires finding a delicate balance, which on the one hand will strengthen the academic faculty in the fields of exact sciences and life sciences and medicine, in order to promote Israel's scientific excellence in these fields, along with the training of quality personnel required for the economy, and on the other hand will preserve and foster research in the humanities and social sciences.
The strengthening of science in Israel goes through strengthening its international status and its relations with researchers abroad
The Academy's report emphasizes that the strengthening of science in Israel is not only through increasing the budgets of the higher education and research system in the country, but also through strengthening the cooperation between researchers from Israel and researchers from abroad. The report clarifies that Israel's participation in the global scientific effort is a key element in its belonging to the community of nations and its position in it, and yet, even though the scope of international cooperation in which Israeli researchers are a party is large, it is smaller than that of countries with notable scientific excellence.
Israel is in the thirty-second place inthe OECD in the class of foreign doctoral students
The academy report emphasizes that a high proportion of faculty and foreign students has a huge positive impact on the quality of academic research and teaching. The report warns that, despite this, the proportion of senior faculty members and foreign students in Israel is tiny compared to that of scientific powerhouses, and it is having difficulty recruiting outstanding foreign postdoctoral fellows. The proportion of foreigners, faculty members and students, in Israel is this: less than 3% of senior faculty members in universities, about 50% of postdoctoral fellows, only about 3% of undergraduate students, about 5% of master's students and about 8 % of PhD students.
The report explains that bringing students and faculty from abroad to Israel involves many difficulties, including administrative, cultural, financial and marketing difficulties. He calls to act in an integrated and national manner to promote the issue and harness all the relevant bodies in the higher education system and government ministries for this purpose.
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Prof. David Harel, President of the Academy: "It is the academy's honor to submit this report to the president of the country. This status expresses the recognition of the importance of scientific research for the State of Israel, which has a considerable part in the economic growth of the country, in establishing its spiritual character, in strengthening its security resilience and in its status among the nations of the world. This report on the state of science in Israel includes references to the natural and exact sciences, as well as the humanities and social sciences. It is submitted by virtue of the academy's legal obligation and out of its belief in the influential contribution of scientific advice to the decision-making processes in the country. I thank the president for his activities to promote science in Israel and call on the decision makers in the country in general and the higher education system in particular to study the conclusions of the report and its recommendations and act on them, each and every one in their areas of responsibility, in order to glorify science in Israel and its local and international influence. His prosperity is the prosperity of all of us."
Prof. Rashef Tana, Chairman of the State of Science Report Committee: "The State of Science report engraves on its banner the importance of scientific excellence and examines ways to promote it. The report aims to give voice to the hardships and challenges that arise from the field, from the researchers in research institutions in Israel, with the belief that excellent science thrives not from central planning but from the cumulative activity of researchers who are each at the forefront of science in their field. This report testifies to the quality of science in Israel, but also to the steps required for its continued cultivation."
The free market does not finance academic R&D but only applied ones. If there is no academic R&D, the applications will also run out at some point.
But in the general expenditure on research and development as a percentage of GDP there has been an increase in the last decade (from 4% to almost 6%) especially in the last 4 years and they forgot to mention that in the report. Israel is first in all when you check the investment from all sources. There is no reason for the state to finance what the free market does much better.
But there was a sharp increase in the number of parasites dodging with a cap on their head. And the trend will only intensify.
That's fine, in a few years the number of researchers will decrease accordingly.
Comments
The free market does not finance academic R&D but only applied ones. If there is no academic R&D, the applications will also run out at some point.
But in the general expenditure on research and development as a percentage of GDP there has been an increase in the last decade (from 4% to almost 6%) especially in the last 4 years and they forgot to mention that in the report. Israel is first in all when you check the investment from all sources. There is no reason for the state to finance what the free market does much better.
But there was a sharp increase in the number of parasites dodging with a cap on their head. And the trend will only intensify.
That's fine, in a few years the number of researchers will decrease accordingly.