Research gets 1% GNP boost in draft constitution

Egypt's proposed new constitution, drafted by a mostly secular assembly, commits state authorities for the first time to allocate a specific portion of gross national product – at least 1% – to scientific research. The step has raised hopes of a major boost for research.

Current allocations for research in Egypt stand at a meagre 0.2% of gross national product, or GNP, according to official figures.

An article in the draft constitution, expected to be put to a public referendum next month, reads:

“The state guarantees freedom of scientific research and encourages its institutions, being a means for fulfilling national sovereignty and building a knowledge-based economy... and earmarks [for research] a percentage of governmental spending not lower than 1% of GNP that should increase gradually to reach world rates.”

Hani el-Nazer, a former head of the state-run National Research Center, said: "For the first time in Egypt's constitutions, a separate provision is mentioned about scientific research, which holds the key to solving the country's social and economic problems.

"Committing the state to increase spending on scientific research is a big step forward.”

If endorsed in the upcoming referendum, the proposed constitution would replace a disputed document crafted by an Islamist-led assembly last year when former president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was in office. The army deposed Morsi last July after massive street protests against his one-year rule.

"It is important for the government to draw up a 10-year strategy to promote scientific research. There are more than 40 scientific research [institutes] in Egypt, which should be brought together to operate under a new ministry,” said el-Nazer.

"The private sector should also be encouraged to finance scientific research."

The Egyptian government already has a Ministry for Scientific Research, but critics say it has failed to live up to its name.

"Most research undertaken in Egypt aims at getting on-the-job promotions, not boosting national development," said Farouk Ismail, a former head of the education and scientific research committee in parliament.

"In addition, around 90% of the scientific research budget is spent on paying salaries for researchers," he told the semi-official newspaper Al-Ahram.

Nadia Zakhari, a former research minister, said: "I hoped that 2% rather than 1% of GNP would have been allocated for scientific research in the new constitution. Scientific research has the potential to rebuild the Egyptian economy and therefore there should be a greater role for it in carrying out national projects."

The new constitution, meanwhile, allocates a minimum of 2% of GNP to public universities, whose administrators say are in dire financial straits. It also guarantees independence for universities and academies, and says they must provide “education in accordance with world quality criteria”.

Academics are hopeful that the stipulations in the proposed constitution will provide a strong push to education and research efforts at Egypt's 22 state-owned universities.

Financing is the major problem for research in Egypt, said Ashraf Hatem, head of the Supreme Council of Universities, which is responsible for drawing up higher education policy.

"Universities should take the lead in research efforts, but they are burdened with large numbers of students and are severely under-funded.

“If there is real determination to promote scientific research in Egypt, a national agency should be set up to act as an umbrella for all research centres and institutes,” Hatem argued.

Egypt is the Arab world's most populous country with 85 million people.