“The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine confirms new research assistance through its 21st Governing Board Meeting for Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan”

November 29, 2005.

    The Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine invites all media to the STCU press conference which will take place on December 2, at 12:00 PM.
    On Friday 2 December 2005, the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) will hold its 21st Meeting of the STCU Governing Board, which will feature reports on STCU activities during 2005, policy guidance and budget approval for STCU activities in 2006, and financial approval of various science and technology projects in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Moldova.
    In addition, there will be a ceremony to announce the research projects selected for financing under the inaugural “Targeted Initiatives” program between the STCU and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Under this historic cooperative program, STCU and the National Academy of Sciences will co-finance, as equal partners, seven science research projects totalling $1 million USD.
    For more information about STCU and its activities please see the press-release (enclosed).
    The press conference will be held by:
    Mr. Zoran Stancic, Board Member and Chairman (EU)
    Ms. Angela Bohdan, Board Member (Canada)
    Mr. Victor Alessi, Board Member (USA)
    Mr. Yaroslav Yatskiv, Board Member (Ukraine)
    Mr. Andrew A. Hood, STCU Executive Director
    When: 2 December 2005, 12:00
    Where: Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine, Kruhlo-Universytetska 10
    Accreditation Khystyna Kushnir, Tel: 253 30 20.
    
    Science and Technology Center in Ukraine to Hold
    The 21st Meeting of its Governing Board in Kyiv
    On Friday 2 December 2005, the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) will hold its 21st Meeting of the STCU Governing Board, which will feature reports on STCU activities during 2005, policy guidance and budget approval for STCU activities in 2006, and financial approval of various science and technology projects in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan.
    In addition, there will be a ceremony to announce the research projects selected for financing under the inaugural “Targeted Initiatives” program between the STCU and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Under this historic cooperative program, STCU and the National Academy of Sciences will co-finance, as equal partners, seven science research projects totalling $1 million USD. Under this Targeted Initiative program, former military scientists in Ukraine will participate in S&T research projects targeting several national S&T priority areas of the Ukrainian government. This unique example of partnership demonstrates STCU’s value as an organizer of science research activities; permanently redirecting the talents of former military scientists, engineers, and technicians into long-term activities that achieve the social, economic, and innovation development goals of their own countries and regions.
    The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) is an intergovernmental, non-profit organization created with the goal of aiding unemployed or underemployed scientists previously working on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs for the Soviet Union. The STCU was created under a 1993 agreement signed between the governments of Canada, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States of America. Subsequently, Sweden was replaced by the European Union, and Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Uzbekistan have also become signatories to the agreement. The STCU finances projects which redirect the military know-how of these former Soviet WMD scientists into peaceful, self-sustaining civilian applications. In addition to collaborative research projects between ex-Soviet military scientists and European and North American scientists, the STCU manages specific research financed by governmental agencies, commercial, and non-commercial organizations in Canada, Europe, and the USA. The STCU also works in a number of other spheres of activity, including commercial matchmaking of scientific talent to industry needs, targeted training in competitive proposal writing and management skills, “sustainability development” programs to improve the scientists’ ability to secure beneficial technology transfer and use of their research, scientific seminars, travel grants and Patent/IPR support.
    In 10 years of operation, the STCU has financed almost 900 science research projects throughout Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan, for a total of over $125 million USD. The three Donor Parties (Canada, European Union, USA) have contributed the equivalent of $95 million USD to these STCU projects, and another $30 million USD has financed additional STCU projects from many governmental agencies, national laboratories, and commercial/industrial firms throughout Europe and North America.
    The STCU is headquartered in Kyiv, and has regional offices in the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as in Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Chisinau (Moldova), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan). For more information on the Center’s activities please visit our website at http://www.stcu.int.