Alexander Lukashenko to confer Doctor of Science Diplomas and Professor Certificates January 29

On January 29, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will confer Doctor of Science Diplomas and Professor Certificates on 25 scientific workers and pedagogues, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service.

In 2007 Belarus’ Supreme Certifying Commission conferred scientific degrees on 584 people including Doctor of Science degrees – on 53 scientists. Among them are 38 foreign citizens from 19 countries. Besides, the geography of competitors has considerably expanded: in 2006 some 32 scientists from eight countries were awarded academic degrees in Belarus. Nine citizens of Belarus, who defended theses abroad (one Doctor's and eight Ph.D. theses), were conferred academic degrees after the reclassification.

The age of scientists pretending to get a Doctor of Science degree lowers in Belarus. In 2005 the average age of a Doctor of Science was 55,4 years in Belarus; in 2007 – 51,3 years. Last year the number of persons, who defended Doctor of Science theses under 40 increased from 4.5% in 2006 to 9.4%. The average age of scientists pretending to get a candidate of science degree is 33 years.

In 2007 the biggest number of scientific degrees were awarded to medical workers (94 people – 16.1%), technicians (93 people – 15.9%), physicists and mathematicians (62 people – 10.6%), biologists (51 people – 8.7%), philologists (46 people – 7.9%) and jurists 938 people – 6.5%).

The number of those who were awarded an academic degree fell by 6% in 2007 compared to 2006 (from 622 to 584 people). At the same time the number of those who got a Doctor of Science degree increased by 20.5% (from 44 to 53 people). The share of unapproved theses fell by 10.6% compared to 2006 to 8.2% of all theses considered by the Supreme Certifying Commission.

Insofar as the Professor degree is concerned, in 2007 some 63 scientists became Professors. At the same time the number of refused applications for getting this degree fell by 2.6% in 2006 to 1.5% in 2007. In November-December the number of those pretending to get an academic degree increased from 29 to 70. It happened thanks to the presidential decree on paying bonuses for the academic decree passed in September 2007. As of the beginning of the year there were 183 councils for defending theses in Belarus (137 Doctor of Science and 46 Ph.D. councils). Some 34 expert commissions working under the Supreme Certifying Commission examine theses.

Source: BelTA