Country Presentation: Mongolia

Ayush Purevjal(Senior officer)

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

2010 SOUTH ASIAN REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON SCIENCE ,TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

INDICATORS:TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

(Kathmandu, Nepal, 06-09 December 2010)

Contents

1. Country profile

2. Scientific system

3. Collecting S&T statistics

4. Main results of the collected S&T statistical data

5. Major problems in collecting S&T statistics

1. Country profile

Map of Mongolia

• Huge territory - 1.56 mln.sq.km (11 times bigger than Nefal, 2.8 times bigger than France)

• Rich of natural resources - Copper, Molybdenum, Gold, Coal, Gas…

• Animal husbandry (40.0 mln: Cow-2.6, Sheep-19.3, Goat-19.6, Horse-2.2, Camel-0.28) –NSO,2009

• Cashmere (Second largest exporter)• Educational level of people: (about 20% of

Government budget dedicated to Education) - literacy rate 97.6% (NSO, 2009) - 113 universities, institutes and colleges

What we have…

• Few population – 2.73 mln., NSO, 2009 (11 times less than Nepal)

• Extreme (severe continental) climate - +/-35 C• No sea access (Between two big Powers: Russia and

China)• Small market• No experience in market economy (during 70 years

isolated socialist system )• Economy based on agriculture (animal husbandry) and

row material export• GDP per capita -1669 USD ( NSO, 2009)

What we do not have…

2. Scientific system

Education

Soviet model of R&D system(before 1990)

UniversitiesInstitutes under the Academy of Sciences

Research institutes under ministries

Basic researchApplied research and development

S&T under central-command system

Government

Research Institutesunder Ministries

State-owned Industry

Government-funded R&D

R&D during the Transition(since 1990)

During 1990-1997:

─ Scientific expenditure decreased─ Number of researchers decreased 2.5 times─ Number of research organizations decreased from 91 to 32 ─ Material investment for laboratory equipments was stopped

After 1997:

─ Reorganization of universities and research institutes─ Tendency to increase budget and number of researchers

Organizational Structure of Mongolian Scientific sector (since 1990)

Government

MECSOther Ministries

MAS NSTF

Scientific, technological and Production Corporations

UniversitiesScientific Research Institutes

Scientific Research Institutes under MAS

NCST

3. Collecting S&T statistics

Legislative framework of S&T statistics

Legislation acts:• Law on statistics (MP, 1997)• Law on S&T (MP, 1998)

Main policy documents: State policy on S&T (MP, 1998) S&T Master plan (2007-2020) of Mongolia (MG,

2007) Programme for developing of national innovation

system in Mongolia (MG, 2007)

S&T data collection process

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (MECS)

UniversitiesScientific research institutions

UNESCONational statistical office (NSO) B

y data collection forms

(questionnaires)

Official statistical data

Official and administrative statistical data

Questionnaire UIS/ST

Dissemination formats of results of S&T statistics

Publication (annual):• “Mongolian statistical yearbook”, NSO

(Mongolian/English)• “Statistical abstract of Education, Culture and Science

sectors”, MECS statistical yearbook (Mongolian)

Electronic (internet): Statistical data of Education, Culture and Science

sectors by NSO (Mongolian/English) Website: http://www.nso.mn

Statistical database of Education, Culture and Science sectors by MECS (Mongolian)

Website: http://www.mecs.gov.mn

Coverage of R&D statistics (by sector)

Sector

Degree of coverage

Completely covered

Partially covered Not covered

Business enterprise

X

Government X

Higher education X

Private non-profitCategory not applicable. It is included into Business

enterprise.

4. Main results of the collected S&T statistical data

Number of institutions covering R&D statistics (data of MECS)

Sector Type of institutionsNumber of institutions

2005 2009

Business enterprise

Private Scientific Research Institutions

47 50

GovernmentPublic Scientific Research Institutions

4 9

Higher education

Universities 5 9

Total 56 68

• Scientific research institutions (by forms):– Scientific research institutions of MAS – 22– Scientific, technological and production corporations – 5– Scientific research institutions of public universities – 14– Scientific research institutions under Ministries – 9– Private scientific research institutions – 9

• Scientific research institutions (by field of science):– Engineering and technology– 12– Natural sciences– 20– Agricultural sciences – 7– Medical and health sciences – 5– Social sciences and Humanities – 15

Source: MECS, 2009

Scientific research institutions

Total full-time R&D personal by occupation(Headcount data for statistics of MECS)

 

Year

Total full-timeR&D

personal

Occupation

Researchers (including

Administrative staff)

Engineering and technical

staff

Other supporting

staff

2009 2483 1748 137 598

2008 2420 1723 125 572

2007 2379 1740 120 519

2006 2316 1707 114 495

2005 2283 1731 81 471

Total full-time R&D personal by sex(Headcount data for statistics of MECS)

Year

Total full-time R&D personal

of which: Researchers(including Administrative

staff)

TOTAL Female% of

female in total

TOTAL Female% of

female in total

2009 2483 1262 50.83 1748 841 48.11

2008 2420 1220 50.41 1723 816 47.36

2007 2379 1189 49.98 1740 837 48.10

2006 2316 1163 50.22 1707 822 48.15

2005 2283 1118 48.97 1731 819 47.31

Total full-time R&D personal by sector of employment(Headcount data for statistics of MECS, 2009)

Sector

Totalfull-time R&D

personal

% of total

Researchers(including

Administrative staff)

% of total

TOTAL2483 100.0 1748 100.0

Business enterprise

171 6.89 95 5.43

Government 2153 86.71 1538 87.99

Higher education

159 6.40 115 6.58

Researchers by formal qualification and sector of employment

(Headcount data for statistics of MECS, 2009)

QualificationTotal

researchers

Sector% of

qualification in Total

researchers

Business enterprise

Govern-ment

Higher education

TOTAL 1748 95 1538 115 100.00

I.ISCED 6 531 18 457 56 30.40

II.ISCED 5A 1217 77 1081 59 69.60

III.ISCED 5B - - - - -

IV. All other qualifications

- - - - -

Researchers by field of science and sector of employment

(Headcount data for statistics of MECS, 2009) 

Researchers by age structure(Headcount data for statistics of MECS)

Total researchers per thousand total employments

(data for statistics of MECS and NSO)

 Indicators 2000 2005 2009

Total employments (thousand persons)

809.0 968.3 1006.3

Total researchers 1693 1731 1748

Total researchers per thousand total employments

2.09 1.79 1.74

 

Expenditure on R&D(data for statistics of MECS and NSO)

 Year

Total expenditure

on R&D

Gross domestic product (GDP), at current prices

Ratio to GDP, %

2009 15987.1 6055794.3 0.26

2008 18070.7 6019838.1 0.30

2007 10410.0 4599541.5 0.23

2006 7701.1 3714952.9 0.21

2005 7231.2 2779578.3 0.26

Millions, Mongolian tugrik (T)

Sources of finds of R&D expenditure

• Government budget (central)• Local budget• Private organizations• Higher education• Foreign funds• Money from basic and supporting activities

of scientific research organizations• Other resources

Expenditure on R&D by sources of funds (data of MECS, 2009)

Total expenditure

Source of funds

Business enterprise

Government Higher

educationFund of abroad

Not specified

15987.1 582.2 12358.2 394.7 289.7 2362.3

100% 3.6 77.3 2.5 1.8 14.8

Expenditure by sector of performance:

Government -80.9% Business enterprise -6.9%

Higher education -12.2% Most of R&D carried out in public sector research institutes and universities Central government main source of R&D funding Private sector R&D not assessed

Expenditure by type of R&D activity (%, data MECS, 2009)

5. Major problems in collecting

S&T statistics

Major problems in collecting S&T statistics in Mongolia:

• Not established a national integrated system of S&T information and statistics.

• Non-existence of completely information or data on Industry and Business enterprise involvement into the S&T sector and that makes difficult to determine the current condition of S&T sector in Mongolia.

• Sometimes S&T statistical data and methodology on data collection is different in Mongolia. For example: we don’t use the “Full-time equivalence (FTEs)” indicator and don’t know how to calculate them. Also some of indicators such as (“researchers”, “publications”) should be calculated in accordance with the internationally recognized methods.

Major problems in collecting S&T statistics in Mongolia:

• The importance and role of the S&T statistical information is very limited and public awareness on the S&T statistical information is poor in Mongolia.

• Capacity of Institutional statisticians in the S&T sector is very low and un experienced.

• Use of advanced ICT is the main negative factor for collecting, processing and aggregating statistical data as well as distributing this information to users.

• Lack surveys on monitoring and evaluation of S&T statistical information and indicators at qualified level.

Future suggestions and actions to improve the S&T statistics in Mongolia:

• Collecting and integrating S&T information and statistics according to international classification and standards: To increase the number of internationally comparable S&T statistical data; to develop a guideline on definitions of the main S&T indicators and methodologies these calculations.

• Calculating an Industry and Business enterprise involvement into the S&T sector: Expanding the degree of coverage of the Business enterprise and Industrial institutions to the S&T statistical information; under this framework need to integrate the National Statistical Office of Mongolia, and use its human resource and national statistical information network capacity.

Future suggestions and actions to improve the S&T statistics in Mongolia:

• Collecting and integrating innovation statistics and data according to international standards: developing of Law on Innovation; to determine the main indicators for respective innovation statistics need to be developed.

• Introduction of modern advanced ICT (software and hardware) for collecting, processing and aggregating of S&T statistical information.

• With the purpose of improving the capacity and exchange of experiences of the statistical officials, to involve and invite to the International or national seminars and training workshops widely.

Thank you very much !