The Process of KP-izing YSU Gains Momentum: 'Hraparak'

There is panic at the rector's office of Yerevan State University (YSU). This is reported by 'Hraparak'.

The media outlet specifically wrote: 'The new charter of YSU was approved with great difficulty by the chairman of the YSU Board of Trustees, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, and YSU rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan during the last meeting of the Board of Trustees at the end of last year. However, it turns out that the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia rejected the approval of the new charter a few days ago and sent it back to the university. The point is that the new charter, written at Papikyan's request and taste, takes the election of faculty deans out of the hands of the faculty council and gives it to the YSU Scientific Council, where it will be much easier for the authorities to get rid of ‘unwanted’ deans.'

During the Board of Trustees meeting held on December 28, 2022, where this new charter was approved, all present, including representatives of the faculty, voted in favor, except for the student members. It turns out that students care more about their faculties than their professors, who are part of the YSU Scientific Council. This was noted by Davit Apoyan, president of the YSU Student Council, in a post on his Facebook page.

It is known that this year several faculties will see the term limits of their deans expire, and new deans are to be elected. This constitutional change should be viewed in that context. For years, the opposition has spoken about university autonomy and the party affiliation of universities, and now having become the ruling authority, they are actually continuing the traditions of the previous administration in a more radical way, surpassing them.

Members of the YSU Board of Trustees recount that during the December 28, 2022 meeting, Papikyan was so eager to pass the constitutional amendments that he erupted during the session, stating: 'I will come here with a cold and make sure we approve this charter, while you are asking lengthy questions. I am putting the question to a vote, and that’s it...'. After that, YSU faculty members obediently voted in favor of a charter that has problems with the law.

Academics believe that Papikyan and Hovhannisyan made such a decision at a time when the dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at YSU, expert on Turkish studies, and opposition figure Ruben Melkonyan was re-elected as dean, despite the Board of Trustees chairman's opposition. The faculty unanimously supported Melkonyan, who is one of the most vigorous opponents of the current government.