VIDEO. About 44,000 People to be Accommodated in the Academic City. Decision Adopted

The government of Armenia approved the draft decision to establish the "Academic City" foundation. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan informed that the Academic City will address several key targets set by the education strategy, which include having at least four universities in the top 500 of international rankings and doubling the number of foreign students to enhance the international reputation of the higher education system.

According to the minister, the initially selected areas are adjacent to inter-state highways, including the third cluster that occupies an area of 425 hectares located near the 17th district of Yerevan, thus creating the possibility of having a railway connection.

"About 44,000 people should be accommodated in these areas, including students, faculty members, and researchers. Preliminary forecasts have been made. The implementation of such a large-scale project requires the presence of an executing organization involved throughout the project's entire cycle, from preparation to actual implementation, followed by the management of the academic city, as the created infrastructure also envisions a comprehensive system for administration and management," she noted.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the location of the academic city, pointing out that after numerous discussions, it was decided to establish the city at the intersection of Yerevan, Kotayk, and Aragatsotn. He mentioned that a 300-hectare area was successfully identified near Yerevan, which was not privatized, and it will now be incorporated into the academic city.