Conference in Artsakh - “Issues and Prospects of Higher Education"
On June 28, conference on “Issues and Prospect of Higher Education” was held jointly initiated by Armenian State University of Economics and Artsakh State University.
The Conference was attended by Rectors of Yerevan State University, Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia, National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, Armenian National Agrarian University, Shushi University of Technology, Meshrop Mashtots University in Stepanakert.
Before the event launched, Bako Sahakyan, President of the Artsakh Republic, Levon Mkrtchyan, Minister of the RA MES, Slavik Asryan, Minister of the AR Education, Science and Sport, representatives of education sphere visited the Memorial of students of Artsakh State University who died in Artsakh liberation fights: paying tribute to the heroes.
Bako Sahakyan delivered a greeting speech, considering the organization of such a representative event dedicated to educational issues in Artsakh important and demanded, noting that our people and their inexhaustible intellectual potential constitute the greatest wealth of our country.
President Sahakyan underlined that the education and science sphere was among the most effective ways of strengthening the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity especially in the present-day globalization era, adding that as in the implementation of other significant strategic programs Artsakh needed support from the Mother Armenia and the Diaspora in the education field too.
Levon Mkrtchyan and Slavik Asryan, Ministers of the RA MES and the AR MESS, made speeches at the opening of the Conference.
Levon Mkrtchyan highlighting the holding of the Conference stated; “Our main weapon, which should lead Armenia to the solution of its complex regional problems, is our scientific and educational potential. The State views the higher education system as a priority object of public administration, and joining the economy and State interests, adopts laws and normative legal acts promoting the functioning of the State in different areas of the education sector”.
Slavik Asryan stated; “We - representatives of the education sector, by cooperating and getting acquainted with each other's problems, will be able to contribute to the solution of the State's problems. It’s not right to consider higher education as progressive, because the whole educational system should operate from pre-school to post-graduate education: these rings are closely interconnected and complement each other”.
Rectors Koryun Atoyan, Manush Minasyan, Aram Simonyan, Arsen Lokyan, Gagik Galstyan, Arshaluys Tarverdyan made introductory speeches on “Issues of Higher Education in the RA and the AR”.
Koryun Atoyan mentioned; “In the context of globalization and knowledge-based economy, the quality of high-quality education is strategically important in ensuring the country's development and competitiveness. That’s why, at present, more than ever, many countries make large-scale investments to improve the quality of higher education, so the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic can not stay indifferent to the mentioned process”.
Manush Minasyan comprehensively presented the educational system of the Artsakh Republic, stating: “In any society, all reforms are accompanied by difficulties, sometimes with shocks.However, we must accept thatwe can not just make improvements to resist the challenges of time development withoutreforms”.
Aram Simonyan speaking about the issues of higher education, from the point of view of development of the sphere, based on the current correlation of students and the number of HEIs, highlighted the optimization of the number of Universities.
Discussions on “State Regulation of Higher Education and Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions”, “Quality of Education” and “Value System” were held within the framework of thematic sessions.
The Conference program is available in the attached file.
Photo series of the Conference – HERE /photo gallery/.
Reportage of Artsakh Public Television on the Conference is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mUTnGirdKw.
ASUE Media and Public Relations Division
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