Today, Open Society Foundations Armenia presented the targeted report called “Higher Education in Armenia Today,” which had been carried out during the period from December 2012 to July 2013, covering all types of higher educational institutions operating in Armenia—state, private, and international.
Report co-author Liviu Matei (Central European University, Budapest) said in his statement that the report is independent and they are liable to the truth. He said that interviews were conducted during the study. According to the findings, the first important circumstance is that Armenia has human potential in the field of higher education.
“We are not saying it in order to start with something positive, but rather, it is a positive finding, Armenia has exceptional potential in science, but there is bad news, which is that these talented people find their place abroad, in other universities. Armenians are very successful in other countries of the world. Armenians are talented, but the talent is often not used within the country. But we do not try to criticize anyone,” said Liviu Matei.
According to the report, after Armenia joined the Bologna process in 2005, a lot has changed in terms of the structure and form of higher education in Armenia, but has education really improved, have administration and governance improved, and have the universities been making a contribution to the economy? “Almost everyone told us that it is not the case, and such change has not taken place,” he said, adding that most of the interviewees think that the reforms are continuing, but the reforms are taking place in terms of substance, as they are just formal changes.
Read also
He reported another interesting finding: the idea of adopting the Bologna model is not receiving adequate support—most of the students, faculty, administrative staff, and parents do not support the Bologna process, and many of them would like to return to the Soviet model of education. For Liviu Matei, this was a surprise finding.
He also said that higher education is crucial for the development of society, and in Armenia, higher education is much more important than in other countries, because there is migration and education system reform is necessary for solving this problem, and for people to get education and stay in Armenia.
He added that Armenia’s economic competitiveness will depend on the production and use of knowledge, for which higher education is crucial. Economic development will be contingent upon knowledge.
Lragir.am
