THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT TAJIK SOCIETY

Independence ha provided  us with not only political freedom but also an invaluable historical opportunity to revive our ancient scientific and cultural civilization. Owing precisely to this priceless achievement and the education-oriented policy pursued by the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, national science has become a central pillar of the country’s strategic development. As the distinguished Leader of the Nation has emphasized: “In the modern era, science plays a key role in the development of statehood and in ensuring national and economic security.”

Today, in the sovereign Republic of Tajikistan, the status and role of science in the development and advancement of the economic, social, and intellectual life of society are becoming increasingly evident, while the country’s leadership accords this sphere particular attention. Throughout  the years of independence, the President and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan have adopted a range of decrees, executive orders, resolutions, and directives aimed at advancing national science, developing and improving society’s technical thinking, integrating science and education, creating competitive technologies, studying renewable energy sources, investigating social issues, strengthening the scientific and technical foundations of research institutions, and training scientific and academic personnel. These measures have made a significant contribution to the work of scientific institutions and to the development of science and support for scholars throughout the country.

As the country’s economic situation has improved, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has consistently implemented effective measures to provide material incentives and social protection for those working in the field of science.

It should be noted that, owing to the care and support of the Government, funding for science has increased from year to year. In 2026, for example, funding allocated to science amounts to TJS 268.2 million. This figure stood at TJS 120.6 million in 2020, TJS 55.4 million in 2015, and TJS 3.5 million in 2003. A comparison of these figures shows that funding for science increased almost 76-fold between 2003 and 2026. This steady upward trend provides compelling evidence of the State’s particular attention to scientific development and of the prominent place assigned to science in the country’s national strategy.

One of the principal areas of activity pursued by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan during the period of independence has been the implementation of a targeted policy for training specialists, researchers, and academic staff to meet the needs of scientific institutions, higher education establishments, industrial enterprises, and other sectors of the national economy. The country’s leadership and Government clearly recognized that the competitiveness of states is increasingly determined by their capacity to build an information society capable of generating and effectively applying new knowledge. In this process, science and knowledge become vital domains that facilitate progress in every sphere of public life, while intellectual labour constitutes one of the most important factors in ensuring sustainable development and the security of every country. The intellectual capacity of society has therefore become a crucial and defining criterion of development in the contemporary world, while its deterioration would primarily affect national security and independence.

The period of independence and the growing needs of society, together with the increase in the number of scientific and research institutions and higher education establishments and the commissioning of dozens of industrial enterprises operating on the basis of advanced technologies, have increased the country’s demand for highly qualified specialists and degree-holding professionals. In this context, the growth in the number of scientific and research institutions, research centres, higher education establishments, and researchers is both a logical development and a requirement of the present era.

It is noteworthy that, according to statistical data, approximately 6,675 people in the country currently hold academic degrees. The average age of doctors of sciences is 64, that of candidates of sciences is 50, and that of doctors of philosophy (PhD) by speciality is 31. Of the 6,675 degree holders, 15.1 per cent are doctors of sciences, 80.6 per cent are candidates of sciences, and 4.3 per cent are doctors of philosophy (PhD) by speciality. Compared with 2010, when the total number of degree-holding personnel amounted to only 2,482—including 409 doctors of sciences and 2,073 candidates of sciences—the number of scholars in the country has increased by more than 2.7 times. This trend confirms the resilience of the human-resource potential of national science in the contemporary period.

The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has expanded international cooperation in science. During this period, it adopted more than 50 important state documents concerning international cooperation in science and technology and the training of scientific personnel. Tajikistan currently maintains productive cooperation in this area with more than 30 countries in the near and far abroad, including the United States of America, Germany, France, Greece, Poland, China, Japan, Slovenia, Croatia, Israel, Iran, Pakistan, and others. With the establishment of peace and stability and the emergence of favourable conditions for scientific institutions in the country, the scope of international scientific cooperation has also become broader and more effective. It should also be noted that, since 2015, the Republic of Tajikistan has expanded its scientific cooperation with international organizations, including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. During this period, Tajikistan and these international organizations signed framework agreements to facilitate the implementation of global resolutions. Examples include the International decade for action “Water for sustainable development, 2018–2028” and the “Decade of action for cryospheric sciences, 2025–2034,” which have provided Tajik researchers with an international legal framework for conducting climate research.

Thus, during the period of national independence, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has devoted particular attention to international scientific cooperation. A number of documents adopted during this period have facilitated the implementation of international collaboration in conducting joint scientific research, training scientific personnel, integrating the scientific potential of different countries, and identifying additional sources of research funding through international grants and other mechanisms.

In conclusion, a comprehensive analysis and examination of the state of science during the period of independence demonstrates that the national leadership and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan have consistently pursued a constructive and purposeful policy concerning the organization and governance of science in the country. Through the implementation of important and targeted measures, favourable conditions have been created for the development and effective functioning of scientific and research institutions and higher education establishments throughout the Republic, while the advancement of science has been aligned with the country’s social and economic needs.

  Abdulloeva S. N.
 Chief specialist, department for the analysis of social issues,
migration and public opinion research