BEGAWAN, BANDAR SERI — CREATES, the newly formed Council for Research and Advancement of Technology and Science, is supposed to develop a national science, technology, and innovation framework to enhance research.
The council will be responsible for setting up policies and plans for scientific, technology, and innovation research every five years.
The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) said in a statement on Sunday that the council will also review existing funding schemes that support research and development in the country.
The council replaces two organizations – the Brunei Research Council and the National Committee on Science and Technology – and was first declared by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah during his 75th birthday.
The National Committee on Science and Technology was tasked with finding scientific and technological achievements, while the BRC was tasked with supporting research and development initiatives that can contribute to economic growth.
The ministry said CREATES will help promote the growth of science, technology, and innovation activities as well as drive economic and social development.
According to figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, government spending on research and development made up only 0.3 percent of Brunei’s gross domestic product in 2018.
The top 72 countries in the world spent 1.17 percent of their GDP on research in 2018.
The new council was established on April 10 and is chaired by MTIC minister YB Abdul Mutalib POKSSDP Hj Mohd Yusof, with permanent secretaries from other ministries, as well as stakeholders from universities and the private sector, as members.
To support the council’s work, the Evaluation and Approval Working Committee and the Implementation Monitoring Working Committee were formed.
The Evaluation and Approval Working Committee, chaired by the permanent secretary of transport and info-communications, is charged with advising the council on the creation of national policies and initiatives linked to STI and R&D, as well as approving research proposals.
The Permanent Secretary of Finance and Economy chairs the Implementation Monitoring Working Committee, which is in charge of assessing the progress of research projects.
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