FICT Institute of Advanced Studies (FIAS)

The FICT Institute of Advanced Studies (FIAS) is a proposed scientific institute located in the vicinity of Qĭancĭeŋ and funded by the ministries of economy, science and education of Khusqaikama. It was on the agenda of the FICT Council Meeting of April 4, 2012, but never adopted.

Research at FIAS includes humanities, social sciences, and theoretical natural sciences. Technical, experimental, and applied science is beyond the scope of the institute, partly for financial reasons, partly for organizational reasons, and partly to avoid overlap with the FICT Institutes of Society and Industry (FISI).

organization

FIAS employs five full-time professors in the humanities, social sciences, and theoretical natural sciences. For each of these chairs, there is a staff of at least one associate professor and at least one assistant professor. All of these focus on research. Professors of all three levels have no educational obligations aside from the supervision of a number of PhD students and PostDocs. (At least three of the former and two of the latter per chair.)

The professors of the three levels together are the 'academic staff'; the PhD students and PostDocs together are the 'research assistants'. At most one third of the academic staff, and at most one third of the research assistants can have Khusqaian nationality. At most one sixth of each can have a non-FICT nationality; all others come from the various member states of FICT.

Additionally, the institute offers work space, facilities, and funding (if necessary) for research within the institute's scope by proven excellent researchers from FICT countries. There are 20 such work spaces, but that number can be temporarily increased if necessary (and if funds are available). Normally such a work space is available for one year, but two or even three years is also possible in exceptional cases.

Guest professors taking up these temporary work spaces are called 'temporary staff'.

Decisions on hiring full-time professors and on the broad research policies of FIAS are made by the 'scientific committee', which is appointed by the FICT Conference. The scientific committee has twice as many members as there are member states in FICT. Any member state is represented by at least one committee member. To be appointed, a committee member must be an outstanding scientists with a substantial international publication record, and expertise that adds to the overall expertise of the committee.

All other decisions with regards to policy and hiring are made by the 'management team', which consists of the full-time professors and the 'director'. The director is the head of the support staff and is in charge of all non-academic matters. Additionally, the management team has three advisory members (without voting power), which are elected by staff members: one representing the research assistants (PhD students and PostDocs), one representing the associate and assistant professors, and one representing the temporary staff.

financing

In thousands of US$ per year.

	paid by	paid by  Khusqaikama
housing		900
facilities*		2000
supporting staff		600
academic staff		1350
research assistants		600
temporary staff		1200
research budgets**		2000
total		6650

notes:
* : FIAS researchers can make use of most of the facilities, including the library, of the University of Qĭancĭeŋ.
** : Research budgets are the personal budgets per researcher (of any level) for research costs such as books, computer hard- and software, travel costs, and so forth.