SCIENCE MELTDOWN IN VENEZUELA

摘要

The most relevant indicators of a scientific system, i.e., human resources, infrastructure, finances and output are analyzed in order to review the current dynamics of the Venezuelan scientific community. During the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela had no major organized institutional scientific activity. From 1954 thru 1983, a considerable number of research and development institutions were built within the public sector, the major provider of funds. While the current scientific workforce in Venezuela is 0.61 active researchers per 10000 inhabitants, a demographic analysis reveals that it is aging at a fast pace; more scientists abandoning the profession than new ones joining in. The number of publications per researcher has declined rapidly after peaking in 1993, reaching its lowest value ever last year. Whilernsome systemic parameters, such as infrastructure or number of researchers or publications in indexed periodicals show pyrrhic increments (4-7%), official figures for number of researchers or investment claim increments by several folds in recent years. Either the scientific system is not efficient or funding is not reaching the laboratories. In any case, as long as the rate of growth of crucial parameters such as number of scientists and research output stays near the country's vegetative growth, existing gaps in S&T between Venezuela and other nations will not be reduced. Overall, it appears that science in Venezuela is in peril. This ought to be a matter of concern, since the present generation of researchers and academics in Venezuela could have been amongst the most significant accomplishments of its democracy.