Students Should Not Pay According to Pashinyan

The government reports that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the educational cluster formation and content description of the "Academic City" project to the faculty and students of Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University.

During his visit to the pedagogical university, Pashinyan discussed the "Academic City" project and its connection to the master plan of Yerevan, highlighting that the downtown area of Yerevan was originally designed as an Academic City, as the key institutional structures envisioned by Tamanyan were educational establishments.

In this context, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of implementing the "Academic City" project, noting that its primary goal is to provide all the necessary components for the educational process, which is currently not possible in the center of Yerevan, as it is the epicenter of all significant events in Armenia—economic, political, social, and legal.

"What do we essentially want to do? We want to create an educational space in this common 'home' for the faculty, the scientific-educational sector, and students, where they can focus on their material without being disturbed by the economic, political, and social noise," Pashinyan stated.

“Let’s not forget the social component—we have a principle that certain students who meet specific criteria should not pay tuition fees at all," he added.

According to the country’s leader, the "Academic City" project also includes significant components such as student dormitories, which are a serious issue in Armenia today.

Pashinyan also touched upon the teachers' retraining process, stating that the educational cluster of the "Academic City" is also designed for currently serving teachers who need to have constant access to educational technologies. He stressed the importance of educational research and data collection, which are integral and essential components of the educational process.

Summarizing his speech, Pashinyan also addressed the proposed art, recreational, and sports centers within the "Academic City." Norbert Pahlern, program director of the Institute of Education at University College London, shared their experience in university consolidation and the planned cooperation framework with the "Academic City" project.