Universities Have No Say on the Academic City. "Zhoghavor"

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport's state program for the development of education in Armenia until 2030, which also defines the concept of the Academic City, is not receiving public approval. Any advancement regarding the Academic City passes without any loud news. This is reported by the "Zhoghavor" newspaper.

Last summer, the ministry provided Armenian state universities and research organizations time until February 15, 2024, to present conceptual proposals regarding the consolidation of state universities and the merging with research organizations. Perhaps no university has submitted a clear proposal or project in this regard. The "Zhoghavor" newspaper made inquiries to state universities in Armenia to understand their stance on the Academic City and whether the consolidation of universities is on their agenda.

We received responses from only three universities, none of which had a clearly formulated decision. From the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, we received a link to a publication made by the rector on the university's Facebook page, where there were statements that indirectly contradict the Ministry's program: "I believe that merging the Conservatory with other arts universities will bring a range of new problems. Throughout history, the question of music education has been one of the priorities of the state policy of Armenia, and the art of music has constantly fulfilled its mission of being one of the most representative manifestations of national identity. At this historical moment, when the preservation of Armenian statehood is our ultimate goal, the significance of musical culture is multiplied tenfold."

The next reply came from the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema, stating that discussions are still ongoing with the university's faculty and students, and an expanded session of the Scientific Council has been invited to discuss the project of the Academic City. The vision of the university will be shaped based on the proposals presented during these discussions. The Armenian State Pedagogical University also does not have its own vision: "When a decision is made that no university should exist in Yerevan, and if we have a say on that matter, we certainly will not hesitate to express it, including according to the constitutional article you mentioned."

After the responses from the universities rejecting the concept of the Academic City, Yerevan State University sent a clear decision: "Yerevan State University is involved in the work of developing the concept of the Academic City. In general, to develop educational and research processes, we need an appropriate environment and platforms for discussions and analyses, and from this perspective, the Academic City can fill that gap and provide an opportunity to emerge into a qualitatively new space. Regarding the announcement about the international accreditation process of universities, it should be noted that Minister of Education and Science Zhanna Andreasyan spoke on the topic during the Q&A session of the National Assembly-Government on March 20, 2024, addressing both the Prime Minister's statement and the accreditation process."

Let us also recall that recently, when David Gyurjinyan was elected rector of Brusov State University, he mentioned in an interview with ArmLur.am that Brusov will have its unique place in the university consolidation program. It turns out that the ministry allows universities to make proposals, yet almost no university has a formed opinion and vision regarding the Academic City project. There is neither a clear yes nor a clear no. This confusion is one of the real weeds in our education sector,” the newspaper writes.