Board 29, November 19th, 2009
Joint Statement from the 29th Meeting of the STCU Governing Board Meeting - 19 November 2009, Kyiv Ukraine
The Twenty Ninth Meeting of the Governing Board of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) convened on 19 November 2009 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the campus of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute". Officials from the STCU Governing Parties of Canada, the European Commission, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden (representing the EU Presidency), Ukraine, and the United States of America participated in this meeting. Also present were officials from local diplomatic missions and other representatives from the STCU member parties: the Embassy of Moldova in Ukraine, the Delegation of the European Commission in Ukraine, the Embassy of the United States of America in Ukraine, and the European Commission's Directorate of External Relations and EuropeAid Cooperation Office.
At this meeting, the Governing Board approved nine (9) new regular, government funded scientific projects for a total of $250 thousand and ˆ1.0 million. The Governing Board also confirmed seventeen (17) new Partner Projects valued at $1.8 million and ˆ700 thousand, and confirmed fourteen (14) Partner Project contract extensions valued at $1.4 million and ˆ572 thousand.
The Governing Board also approved nine (9) STCU-Azeri Targeted Initiative projects, totaling $370,409 and ˆ50,711 (with $445,401 in matching funds from the Azeri National Academy of Sciences), and six (6) STCU-Moldovan Targeted Initiative projects, totaling $124,989 and ˆ16,906 (with $149,991 in matching funds from the Moldovan Academy of Sciences).
The Governing Board also approved the 2010 Administrative Operating Budget and Supplement Budget requests from the STCU Secretariat. Within this approval, the Governing Board created new Canadian and EU Supplemental Programs designed to expand the recruitment of governmental and non-governmental organizations from these two Parties to the STCU Partners Program.
The Governing Board initiated planning for the 15th Anniversary of STCU operations, in commemoration of the first STCU Governing Board Meeting and project funding approvals which occurred in December 1995. To mark the occasion, a conference for senior officials, dignitaries, and past STCU leaders is planned during the time of the 31st STCU Governing Board Meeting, tentatively planned for November 2010.
The Governing Board also approved the re-appointment of the current STCU Executive Director, Mr. Andrew A. Hood, to another two-year term beginning in August 2010, and also approved the one-year extensions of the Deputy Executive Director (USA), Mr. Victor Korsun and the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Curtis M. Bjelajac.
About STCU: The STCU is an intergovernmental, non-profit organization created with the goal of aiding unemployed or underemployed scientists previously working on the development of weapons of mass destruction. It was created and is governed by the 'Agreement to Establish a Science and Technology Center in Ukraine', originally signed by the governments of Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States of America. Subsequently, Sweden was replaced by the European Union as a Governing Party; Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan have also acceded to the STCU Agreement. The STCU finances projects that redirect the know-how of the scientists, who were formerly involved in military programs, into peaceful sustainable civilian applications. Other than government funded projects, the STCU also works in a number of other spheres of activity: Matchmaking; Promotional Missions; Seminars and Workshops; Partnership Projects; Travel Grants; and Patent Support.
The STCU Governing Board meets on a semi-annual basis to determine the Center's policies and funding for scientific projects and supporting activities. The STCU Secretariat, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, is the main body responsible for fulfilling STCU decisions and policies on a daily basis.
The total STCU project funding to date, including funding from this 29th STCU Governing Board Meeting, now stands at approximately $195.8 million, with the donors contributing the following amounts: Canada - $9.3 M, U.S.A.- $76.6 M, European Union - $42.2 M (ˆ33.6 M), Non-Government Partners Sector - $27.8 M, Government Partners Sector - $38.9 M and Other (Japan, CERN) - $1.0 M.
Funding Table