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Research and Development Centre |
Research and Development Centre |
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Relation with post graduate students
Research and Development Centre
Goals of the Center If self-sufficiency is the road to freedom, then continual dependence on the efforts of other nations is the main cause behind the backwardness of those nations that import massively. Lately, special legislation has been passed to protect intellectual property, which has caused importers to panic. Importers, due to their poverty have to some extent made a living by stealing others’ products and ideas. Industrial, exporting nations have been in the habit of exporting what they usually have no use of, as though nations who import only deserve to consume other more developed nations’ waste in intellectual, technological industrial and medical fields. Therefore, given all the aforementioned, it became mandatory – although somewhat late – to explore the world of production and innovation which is enabled only by the establishment of serious research centers. Such centers have to differ from the existing ones, left over by industrial nations, or from centers conducting their research exclusively in fields already overexploited in the past. Those new centers shouldn’t be novelties, but serious institutions perfecting researches previously conducted, defining local problems, and identifying available resources, both human and material, such as private or public libraries. They also have to take into account the country’s national needs and plan the production in conformity with these needs or with the nature of arising problems. It is a well known fact that our local markets have slackened off due to the prevailing idea that local products are more expensive than imports and of a lesser quality. This has led to the subordination of importing nations which turned into slaves of the exporters who in turn exploit the importing nations’ resources and riches. As an example, industrial nations purchase raw material at an extremely low cost and then re-export them, in the form of finished products at exorbitant prices. As a matter of fact imported products are much more expensive than it might seem to the end users. Muslims were 400 years ahead of many other nations in the fields of science whereas they are today 450 years behind most nations who have been through an 850-year progress and innovative period! The research centers established in the Arab world in general and in Lebanon in particular are a mere imitation of what was done two hundred years ago in developed countries, whereas in terms of serious research it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to compare them to those which existed in the twelfth century! Thus the center’s goals should be an innovative and inventive approach aiming at proposing solutions to problems arising either locally or regionally. If such a center were unable to do so, there will be neither need nor justification for its existence. Based on these stated goals it was decided to establish the Research Center at Jinan University.
The Center’s Rules and Regulations Article one: Administrative Board The center is presided over by a General Director appointed by the University Council for a renewable period of four years. The Director recommends employees to the University Council who has the definitive authority to appoint them. However, the General Director has the right to a justified objection to the appointment of any employee whose name doesn’t appear on the initial suggested list. However, the final decision will be taken by the University Council who is responsible for all employees appointed despite the General Director’s disapproval. Such employees will be subject to dismissal like any other employee who turns out to be unfit for the position he or she has been appointed to. The Center is a very delicate structure and competence is mandatory if the Center is to fulfill its objectives. The General Director has to submit an annual report to the University Council presenting in brief the Center’s achievements for the year and the scheduled tasks for the next year. It will be taken into consideration that each research project will be allocated the period of time necessary for this particular research depending on its importance and size.
Finance of the Center The Center is directly linked with the University and is considered one of its departments. Therefore, the Center’s expenses and all employees’ salaries are paid by the University. And with the approval of the University President, the Center has the possibility of receiving donations and providing services to institutions, authorities or individuals such as translation, auditing or research, according to agreements signed between the Center and the relevant body. The revenue of the Center’s publications following the agreement reached with the researchers (review the list of relations of the Center with the researchers).
Article two: • The Center has an internal bylaw established by the Scientific Board and agreed upon by the University Council, • This bylaw includes rules and regulations relative to the Center and its activities. Any article of this bylaw might be amended at the proposal of the Director or any member of the Center’s Scientific Board or upon a proposal submitted by the University President.
Article Three: The relation of the Center with the researchers, authorities and institutions: A- The researchers can be of two categories: - Full timers who are financially dependent on their permanent work within the University, - Contractual, who are university Faculty members, from outside the Center, or from another university, B- Shall the Scientific Board deem it necessary, and with the approval of the University President, any full-timer might work as contractual outside his or her regular working hours in order to conduct a given research, C- The time period for any project is initially fixed at two years, D- The Center will enlarge its relation network to the widest scientific circles in Lebanon and worldwide, E- Invitation to participate shall be addressed (following special criteria) to researchers willing to cooperate, F- Establishing a charter to fix serious research standards, G- Research will be assessed internally and then secretly by two expert scientists and without the knowledge of the relevant researcher, H- In the light of the reports issued based on the research plan, a contract will be signed with the concerned researcher. In this contract, a sufficient time period will be fixed for the research as well as remuneration and payment methods. The research remains the property of the Center unless the Center doesn’t publish it within a period of five years. In such a case, the researcher will be entitled to publish his or her research provided that he or she informs, in writing, the Center’s administration of such an action. The administration has the right to refuse such publication if it intends to publish the research within a year form this notification date. Beyond this period, the Center is obligated to deliver a quitclaim to the researcher and allow him to publish the research on his own, I- Unlike full-timers, contractual researchers will have to pay for the references they might need for their research, save for research conducted outside their regular work time. After the end of the research period, references shall be left in the Center located on the University campus, J- Payment methods: As a clarification of article (H) above, half of the remuneration agreed upon can be paid by installments spread over the term of the research so that the last installment coincides with the submittal of the research draft. The second half will be paid after assessment of the draft and its acceptance according to article (G) above. Other payment methods might be agreed upon in various contracts, K- Accepted research will be published and all rights of the research whose remuneration is a fixed amount – in all languages – remain the property of the Center in conformity with article (H), L- The Center might contract with any researcher who has formerly conducted research or who wishes that the publication remains his or her responsibility. In this case, he or she will be offered 12% of the price mentioned on the cover and the author’s rights of the first thousand copies are paid at publication. For additional prints and publications, payment will take place at the end of each year, M- The Director directly negotiates with different authorities or institutions the conduct of any research or any training – within the Center’s capacity – yet no contract will become effective until the final approval is granted by the President who signs the file and not the contract itself. Any agreement will be filed in a special folder at the disposal of both the President and the Director of the Center, N- In a preliminary stage, a conference will be held by specialists under the title “What Could Be Done at the Research Center in the Light of Past and Expected Scientific Achievements?” At the end of such a conference, held for one day minimum, a list of future studies is set and a five-year minimum plan is established for primary actions to be taken. The door will remain open to any further consultation or projects. O- The Center will maintain close relations with research centers around the world and will keep informed of all their new publications. It will also exchange periodicals and publications with these centers. P- The Center publishes its research on a case by case basis, in various forms such as books, articles in periodicals issued by the center, and works in cooperation with publication houses if necessary, with the possibility of cooperating with Al-Muna Publication and Distribution.
Article Four: Relation with post graduate students • Similarly to what takes place in advanced countries such as Europe, The United States of America and Canada, the Center is considered a favorable place for post graduate students at Jinan University • Full coordination will take place between the University and the Center as far as post graduates are concerned, • Any researcher from a university other than Jinan might benefit from the Center's services according to a special agreement: a- payment of certain fees, b- conduct of the research in the favor of the Center in conformity with the applied rules and regulations • The name of the Center will appear on each and every published research conducted in the Center either in draft form or on the final publication
Director of the Research and Development Center at Jinan University Dr Ali LAGHA
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