Friday, 18 April 2008
Introducing newly appointed minister Levon Mkrtchyan to the staff of the Ministry of Education and Science and once again congratulating him on his appointment, the head of the government noted the important role of educational reforms in the overall development of the State and society:
"All of us realize well that without serious reforms in the system of education we will simple fail to promote any development in the Republic of Armenia. Armenia
's modernization is impossible without an effective educational system. Together with you, we should be ready to the most serious reforms, and I am convinced that that the new team established in the government will be a team of devoted people. We are going to be devotees and this will be evident."With reference to some principal issues stemming from the Lissabon declarations, the Prime Minister has presented his viewpoints:
"I hope you are familiar with the Lissabon declaration and I think you should be guided by those 29 principles as stipulated in this document. First of all, the Republic Armenia should be based on strong universities. It is the first and key principle: strong Armenia is impossible without strong universities. Second, we build a society which is based on knowledge. It is among the key pre-election theses of RA President Serzh Sargsyan and is part of the RA Government Program. It is impossible to represent a modern society which is not based on knowledge. And it is clear that universities are to address this task. Universities and social integration are the third major principle. It is crucial that universities take charge of this mission. Well-integrated societies are impossible without strong university activities. Formation of a propitious educational environment in the Republic of Armenia: education must be a value and all of us must appreciate it. Each RA citizen should realize it well. Ill-educated people are dangerous. We cannot build a sound society. It is up to the system of education to introduce educated people into the society. The following major principle is that we should have such an educational system as may train staff needed on the market. Unfortunately, our educational system still releases graduates who fail to find a job on the market. On the other hand, there is high demand for skilled workers. And very often our entrepreneurs cannot find the needed staff even with extremely high wages.
The following major principle which is to produce revolutionary changes in our thinking consists in that education should be conducted on a continued basis. Frankly speaking, I do not like this wording, because it does not cover all the nuances. Many of us do not like either the Russian term - "lifelong education" - as associated with the system of educational, but one cannot live without continued education in the modern world. We should carry out these revolutionary changes and, first of all, among the youth who should understand that they are doomed to study up to the end of life as they live in the modern world. Such is my vision of our educational system. Undertaking the reforms which you are called to carry out, you should consider that graduating from a university does not mean that a graduate leaves the educational system. The educational system must follow up the citizen until the end of his life. Another major principle is the correlation between higher education and research work. It is the weak point of our universities. It is impossible to imagine a modern university which does not host prominent scientists as teachers. If we tear off science from universities, both science and the universities will suffer. Our teachers should be engaged in research work. We should not tolerate such readers who defended their master
's or doctor's theses in the 60s and have not been engaged in any scientific work ever since, who have failed to produce the results of their research work to the society. Well above being unneeded in the society, they are dangerous for the society and the universities as they distort the whole educational process in the Republic of Armenia. This is a serious challenge for your ministry. You should manage to create such an environment as would allow to get rid of similar people in order to staff our universities with talented young scientists who would be engaged in both teaching and research activities. Unfortunately, this linkage is too weak in the Republic of Armenia. The following major principle is the intercommunication between universities and industry. This means that the potential available in our universities should provide for the application of the outcomes of research and development work in Armenia. This implies an innovational focus for the system of education, namely the educational system should be cognizant that social development is henceforth impossible without innovation. There is another key principle, especially important to our universities: wide accessibility of information. They should post online their major achievements representing the results of research work so as the public could analyze and criticize them. We have such universities as do not provide results at all. This must be a major criterion according to which we can assess the role of a university, its contribution to the public life.Mr. Mkrtchyan and I have a common dream - the establishment of a pan-Armenian university in the Republic of Armenia. A university of global renown which would host not only readers of Armenian descent, but also the best teachers of the world and which would make it possible for our youth to communicate with worldwide achievements. I am convinced that with your active participation this dream will come true.
