Minister Majadala to researchers and scientists: "We must prepare for a fight to increase the science budget"

In an emergency meeting with researchers and scientists, initiated by the Minister of Science, Culture and Sports, Galeb Majadala, the minister called on the government to increase the science budget and established a monitoring team for the submission of the 2008 budget proposal

The heads of the universities and research institutions in Israel came to the emergency meeting, which took place last Wednesday in Shafiim, and were attended by the chief scientist of the Ministry of Science, Prof. Mina Teicher, the director general of the ministry, Dr. Yoav Rosen, the chairman of the RA Prof. Moshe Keva, Vice Presidents for Research, researchers, scientists and industry representatives.

The Minister of Science, Galeb Majadala, opened by saying that Israeli governments for generations have never heard the voice of the scientists, because science has no lobbyists. The government must be convinced that the best investment, with the highest return, is science. The minister called on the government to increase science budgets in all ministries and invited researchers and scientists to join the fight.

The president of Bar-Ilan University and chairman of the RA, Prof. Moshe Keva, said that in every developed country the Ministry of Science is a ministry with large budgets, but not so in Israel, and noted the "brain drain" phenomenon. "Israel failed to understand that growth depends on research and did not invest in it." Prof. Keva called on the Minister to take as a project the return of the scientists to Israel.

Prof. Majad Al Haj, Vice President and Dean of Research of the University of Haifa said - this is the first time after 59 years that an Arab minister has been appointed and a minister who engraved the name of science on his flag.

The chairman of the National Committee for Biotechnology, Prof. Yossi Yordan, said that after years of threats to the very existence of the ministry, since the minister took office, they feel a new spirit and a sense of refreshing change. Prof. Jordan proposed to define the role of the Ministry of Science and its uniqueness as encouraging and nurturing applied science, combining basic academic research and industry. The amounts provided by the ministry is "catalytic money" - little, but it takes action, and creates a national leverage.

Prof. Dan Zaslevski submitted to the minister the annual report of the R&D and said that the R&D budget, compared to the OECD countries, should be about NIS 20 billion a year, about 4-5% of GNP. The achievements we enjoy today are the fruits of past investment and today we are beginning to see the retreat and decline. Zaslavsky said that there is complete ignorance and gluttony of the budget department in the Treasury, which slaughters chickens that lay golden eggs. You have to demand a budget increase and no, there will be no research and no training of mature academics.

Minister Majadala summarized and introduced the monitoring team that will focus at this stage on the fight to increase the 2008 budget and then present a five-year plan that will be brought up for discussion in the government. The members of the team are: the representative of the RA, the chairman of the Forum of Vice Presidents for Research, Prof. Moti Hershkovitz, Prof. Yossi Yordan, the chairman of the MoLMOP, the chief scientist of AL-OP Dr. Itamar Shoshan and the chief scientist of the Ministry of Science , Prof. Mina Teicher.