Arayik, it's worth taking a vacation, resting, and reflecting: Former Official to Arayik Harutyunyan

Former head of the State Committee for Science, Smbat Gogyants, writes on his page: "Naturally, Azaryan, Hayrapetyan, and Galoyan are not the only plagiarists. There are many, very many. I removed dozens of people from the composition of professional councils, but I haven’t pronounced anyone’s name out loud.

Acemoglu writes in his famous book about the importance of institutions. Only and only of institutions. Azaryan is a plagiarist, but the judicial system is at peace with this thought. No problem, let it be. I’m at peace with this thought too. Ruben Hayrapetyan is a plagiarist, but the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MoESCS) is not at peace with that thought. I’m very glad. Then it turns out that Diana Galoyan is a plagiarist, but the MoESCS is indifferent to this fact. Here, Acemoglu would be angry. I was also angry. It turns out the MoESCS is acting not as an institutional unit, but... You are familiar with the subsequent developments.

In any case, I wanted to change the system, eliminate the black opposition, make the councils international, set standards according to the field of defense, change the regulations for granting academic titles, but they did not allow any of this. They do not allow, and the 5-page draft law for changing the legislation (thanks to Armen Asatryan) has been at the MoESCS for 11 months now.

According to Acemoglu, institutions should cooperate. The principles for forming the list of acceptable journals by the State Committee for Science were murky and incomprehensible. I submitted a proposal, and it was enshrined in point 175.4 of the government program for 2019-2023 that all scientific journals published in Armenia should be rated by November 2019. We developed the criteria, and the rating was assigned to the Science Committee under the supervision of the MoESCS minister. Time passed; in December 2019 and April 2020, I sent inquiries to the MoESCS minister, but received no response. So, what does it mean?

The issue was included in the government program, a group was formed, the work was "done," it was "successfully" completed, and a report was presented to the government... the entire work was recorded, implemented, summarized, but there is no result.

This approach was the reason that when I was asked unambiguously during an official inquiry at the government building on August 24, 2020, whether I would continue working with Arayik Harutyunyan, I answered unambiguously: no. So, I ask my friends not to blame me for my dismissal from work. I myself wrote the second resignation letter yesterday around 4:00 PM, which the Prime Minister accepted.

In any case, life goes on. I truly wish that my children learn in the school envisioned by Arayik Harutyunyan. As surprising as it may be, I support many of Arayik Harutyunyan's intentions. The issue is in the ways to implement them. For me, managing education is a platform to unite, not to separate. We all must understand that both the Dashnak, the Republican, the CP member, and the Enlightened, and the KPs must live next to each other in this country. Everyone's opinion should be listened to, discussed, and in many cases persuaded. Decisions should be made taking everyone into account. Only then will the narrow, "clannish" group fail to mislead the minister. I hope that Arayik Harutyunyan will draw conclusions from all this and will open up instead of closing down. He will open up and carefully observe those around him, understanding who he is surrounded by. He will talk to the advisor who published a humiliating, mocking photo of me on Facebook; he will reflect within himself and understand why it happened that he failed Ruben Hayrapetyan (whom he unconditionally supported), but unconditionally supported Diana Galoyan, who found herself in the same situation. It is illogical that the MoESCS has been without a press secretary for over 8 months, and has been without a head of the legal department for 5 months. There is still no deficit of political capital, but the lack of professionalism will wear it down.

Arayik, it’s worth taking a vacation, resting, and reflecting. Because, in five years, we might meet again, and either I will approach you and say thank you for putting the education system on the right track, or you will shamefully lower your gaze. I will be very happy if you succeed, but that wish is not personal; it’s not related to you. I rejoice in every success in the education sector, with every success of every minister. Unfortunately, both many of the former officials and you have little to boast about. But I hope you will.

Perhaps this sounds a little pathetic, but this is truly how I think.

P.S. I learned a lot over the last two years, but I could help very little. I didn’t help because I was a stranger among my own. From today, I am returning to those among my own whom I am not a stranger to. And I’m glad that over the last two years, the list of my close ones has grown with people I would not have known had I not become the president of the State Committee for Science. We will keep in touch with Anahit, Alik, Arsen, Gohar, Gor, Mamikon, Mikael, and others. Sasun Gevorgyan, a little bit you too, but in very small doses."