Students Who Studied at Prestigious Global Universities Will Be Exempt from Military Service After 3 Years of Work: Andreasyan

The Parliament is discussing the draft law proposed by the Government concerning amendments to the "Military Service and Soldier's Status" law, which aims to accept the draft law in the first reading.

The main rapporteur, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan stated: "You know that a special deferral system has been implemented since 2018, which grants deferrals to our citizens studying at any of the top 50 universities according to the Shanghai rankings. Currently, we have a situation where over 600 of our citizens have benefited from this deferral right, and 570 of them are still continuing their studies. At the same time, by examining the situation of those citizens who have already completed their studies, we see that the capital developed, meaning the knowledge and skills formed as a result of studying at these prestigious universities, do not actually return to Armenia and do not serve either the public or economic development agendas here," said the minister.

Citizens who have received a deferral and are completing their studies at these universities will have the opportunity to work in a field determined by the Armenian Government for at least three years after finishing their studies, and after that, they can be exempted from military service.

According to Andreasyan, the logic behind this regulation is simple: those citizens who have managed to secure their study opportunities in the world’s most prestigious universities with their own resources, and overcoming relevant obstacles, should have sufficient motivational tools to return and apply their knowledge and skills for the benefit of our country. "Thus, on one hand, we will ensure that their return takes place, and on the other hand, we will guide their knowledge and skills application in the areas where we feel the most need through the regulations established by government sub-legislative acts," the minister emphasized.