On the day of Mayor Taron Margaryan’s dissertation, one of the guys obstructing legal professional activities of journalists, giving instructions to police officers not to allow the journalists inside, Chairman of Armenia State Economic University Students’ Council, Sevak Khachatryan, has won a 400 000 drams trip by Young Scientists Support Program (YSSP) under the auspices of the President of Armenia. He is one of the winners of the contest for providing financial support to scientific trips of young scientists, which, in fact, was followed by the unpleasant incident happened in the University of Economics and condemned by journalistic organizations.
Aravot.am asked Karlen Khachatryan, President of YSU young scientists Union, secretary responsible for YSSP Governing Body, what principle was applied to recognize Sevak Khachatryan a winner. “Any young man who is under 35 and is working in the universities of Armenia and research centers that has an invitation to make an oral scientific report at the international conference outside the country may apply to the program. In compliance with previously developed criteria and a scoring scale, which possibly keeps us away from subjective attitude, we assess the application. Sevak Khachatryan is a University professor, Ph.D., under 35 years, hence, he has all the possibilities to be involved in the program. He has submitted an application to participate in the scientific conference organized by the Donetsk National University of Economics. He presented the formal invitation, a reference from the employment stating about his work as a professor and all other documents, has filled out the application form and in compliance with assessment standards, his scores were enough to receive funding,” clarified the responsible person for YSSP Governing Body. To our observation that proposals were made that before supporting the young scientist his behavior and character should be considered, Karlen Khachatryan responded, “With regard to the proposals that it was worthy to establish an Ethics Committee, norms and etc, in this case, a question arises as to who and how the behavior of this-or-that young scientist be assessed. In this case, an incident occurred, circulated among the media, and, also, public attention was the cause of the noise associated with Sevak Khachatryan’s winning the bid. Let’s assume that an X scientist is doing something in an Institute, about which nobody knows except for a few people. In this case, what should we do? To go back to the Soviet Union and demand characteristics from the supervisor, subordinate, and colleague? This proposal is not realistic,” said our interlocutor. To add that providing an opportunity for Sevak Khachatryan to travel under YSSP has also caused the anger of some Facebook users who have expressed their bewilderment on Facebook page of this program. In their comments, they perceive Sevak Khachatryan not as one related to the science but more associating with hindering the journalists on the day of Taron Margaryan’s dissertation and someone who was giving instruction to profane crowd and violating the requirements of the University. Particularly, one of the users wrote that the matter of financing such people as Sevak Khachatryan was to be reviewed. “I suggest that based on the very academic standards, the person violating the main principles of scientific activities should be deported from sciences. In general, the public should reject such people. Especially, the scientific community. Because it is also due to them that the rating of sciences is largely falling. If morality does not work here, the YSSP has already turned into an eating tub,” wrote a young man. In response, Karlen Khachatryan, one of the responsible persons of YSSP Governing Body, responded that thus they are pushed to subjectivity, and added, “All those who are inspired with the desire to present recommendations raising the efficiency of our work, are cordially invited to attend the YSSP Governing Body meetings and submit them.” Another Facebook user’s hah asked a question to Khachatryan “And what is the PhD, professor and involved in academic activities, Sevak Khachatryan, lecturing? How to blaspheme women?” According to the University website, Sevak Khachatryan has 3 scientific articles devoted to improvement of economic mechanisms for the use of secondary resources in Armenia. He is a member of the University Research Council, University Rector, Taron Margaryan’s scientific instructor, 014 board member Koryun Atoyan’s Advisor. Sevak Khachatryan has many photographs with the country’s top leaders and enjoys their patronage.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
