More than 6300 Paid and 271 State-Commissioned Positions Remain Vacant in Universities

A meeting of the national admission committee was held at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, chaired by Minister Zhanna Andreasyan. Vice Minister Araksia Svajyan, Head of Higher Education and Science Sarkis Hayotsyan, Director of the Assessment and Testing Center Armen Pashayany, Deputy Karo Nasibyan, and university rectors participated in the meeting.

Upon confirming the agenda, the admission committee discussed the preliminary results of the admission process for the 2023-2024 academic year in Armenian universities, according to the specialties in bachelor’s programs and continuous and integrated educational programs, including the results of candidates with statutory privileges.

Director of the Assessment and Testing Center Armen Pashayany presented the preliminary results of the main admission phase, stating that the assessment center will publish the results of the entrance examinations on July 18. As is known, candidates for the 2023/2024 academic year had the opportunity to take unified admission examinations twice, as stipulated by the Armenian government's decision 597-N.

Accordingly, the first phase of the unified examinations was conducted in January, while the second phase took place in June and July. Armen Pashayany provided information regarding the allocation of government-funded and paid places in universities, noting that more than 6300 paid positions and 271 state-commissioned positions remain vacant.

After reviewing the overall data, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan expressed her concern about the high number of vacant places. “It is unacceptable that a large number of vacant spots have been recorded for years. It indicates that planning and distribution of places are not being done correctly from the outset. I believe the state needs to change its approach to planning these positions. Universities, in cooperation with the Higher Education and Science Committee, should conduct targeted and realistic planning of places, especially regarding the proper distribution of paid positions,” said the Minister, adding that realistic planning is also beneficial for universities.

The admission committee also discussed the organization of competitions for vacant places. According to the Director of the Assessment and Testing Center, 444 candidates did not register for universities and specialties, thus they did not participate in the competition. According to the procedure, at the time of second phase registration, candidates were required to specify their university and specialty.

Candidates with positive scores may participate in the competition for vacant places. An official announcement regarding the conduct of the competition is expected to be published within the stipulated deadlines.

The meeting also addressed the distribution of privileged targeted places for national minorities, as well as the redistribution of positions allocated to universities in the fields of arts, physical culture, and sports. Several current issues were also discussed during the session.