Thursday, 11 March 2021
Tigran Avinyan Receives Representatives of Gituzh Initiative
On March 11, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan held a meeting-discussion with representatives of Gituzh (Power of Science) initiative. Addressing those present, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “I am pleased to host the representatives of Gituzh initiative in the government. I welcome your initiative, consistency and your will. We perceive Gituzh as the government’s partner in matters of scientific policy. We wish to establish effective cooperation based on mutual understanding and trust. Today we will discuss issues related to the financing of science, as well as the prospects and problems of science development. I think we all agree that a secure and competitive country should be built through the development of science, especially natural and technical sciences.
We will achieve a prosperous and secure Armenia through a knowledge-based economy. At the same time, while there are no serious disputes over ideas and visions, there are a number of problems at the practical level. In this context, the agenda faces the issues of how and with the help of which mechanisms we need to develop science and increase its financing, what are the priorities in which areas of Armenia has competitive or comparative advantages.
These issues need to be discussed on a regular basis and changes need to be made along with the actions being taken. That is, the dialogue about the development of science must be dynamic and practical. Ultimately, the development of science in parallel with the creation of new knowledge can have important consequences, from solving problems of everyday life and expanding the potential for economic development to the development of human capital and the civilized progress of society.”
The prospects for science development were discussed. The representatives of Gituzh initiative presented its ideas for the development of science, made complex proposals. Ways of increasing the allocations provided by the state budget for scientific and scientific-technical activities were discussed during the meeting.
The Deputy Prime Minister stated the government’s commitment to increase research funding this year and during the coming years, while expecting specific results. The general consensus was emphasized that the role of science is indispensable in terms of building a strong state and healthy social relations. The development of the latter in the future will have a chain reaction to the creation of a high-quality education system, the training of highly qualified specialists, the construction of a knowledge-based economy
Considering the need to preserve and develop Armenia’s scientific potential, the speakers referred to the issues of reforming the scientific sector and taking measures to make the scientific career interesting for talented young people. The meeting participants touched upon the process of rejuvenating science in Armenia and the steps to be taken in this direction.
