From December 2012 up to July 2012, with the initiative of the “Open Society Foundation-Armenia” (WWF-Armenia), the analytical center of higher education of Central European University was invited to Armenia to conduct external independent studies in higher education sector. The problem is that for about twenty years, WWF-Armenia has invested considerable funds and efforts to promote the reforms in the higher education sector, however, the realities that exist nowadays in Armenia in this area cause fears about the Fund, an opinion was created that there is no progress, on the contrary, there is a steadily regress. The Fund will take a base the findings of the external studies for the future work in given sector. Among the conclusion consisting of several items, the following assertions are found: a. Armenia has a unique human potential in the field of higher education, b. The higher education in Armenia is not moving by the path of reforms, the higher education system has reached a deadlock, where the RA political leadership has set a strict control, widespread corruption dominates, quality standards are dropping, there is a mass emigration of young and talented professionals, c. The advocates of “Bologna model” higher education make the minority, instead, the supporters for “Soviet model” are many, d. Anyway, there are important resources in the system that can be mobilized to serve the cause of the reforms, and so on. One of the problems facing our higher education sector is the excessive involvement of our authorities in the higher education system. Thus, the independent researchers wrote. “During almost all the discussions with those related to higher education sector in Armenia, a number of key questions popped up. Perhaps, one of the most surprising among them was that the state is too much interfering and controlling the higher education system at all levels. The interest displayed by Armenia’s political regime in the higher education system is worthy of admiration and theoretically can lead to positive results. Unfortunately, this interest is expressed by intensive supervision.” As an example of such intensive supervision is that a high-ranking official is standing at the head of each state University Board, for example, the President of Armenia, NA Speaker, Prime Minister, Minister of Education, and others. In general, estimating the Bologna reforms, the study indicates, “Actual results of the studies at the Universities showed that most of the aforementioned reforms bear an external and formal character, whereas the essence and the content remain unchanged. Bologna reforms did not have any tangible, positive impact on the teaching and learning, on the essence of scientific research activities or the management system. Thus, the majority of respondents participating in the interviews, and even those who were openly in favor of reforms, characterized the process as “failed”. Moreover, an opinion was expressed that in certain cases the results were negative.”
Melania BARSEGHYAN
