The scientists’ letter, Nikol Pashinyan’s ignorance and Sargis Armenian’s resignation. C:

Today, during the regular session of the Government, Minister of Education and Science, Zhanna Andreasyan announced that additional funding of 2.35 billion drams will be provided to science.

Nikol Pashinyan mentioned that “if he is not mistaken”, after 2018 the funding of science has been doubled, to which the minister said that it has been increased by 2.8 times.

“After 2018, the funding of science has almost tripled, I don’t remember any discussion about it in RA. Do you understand, the funding of science has been cut and, let’s say, nothing about it in the press, nothing in social networks, in the squares. But suddenly there is 726 drams less in any project, letter-letter, interview, statement, speech, demonstration, protest, etc. We have the impression that we are under the gun, someone has held this weapon against us and said: you know what, increase the funding of science. And we, don’t shoot, we will add, in that situation we have increased the funding of science, as soon as the person holding the weapon turned his eye away, we have reduced the funding of science to zero.

This is a phenomenon of going crazy in RA in general. I will not pay any attention to those letters until the authors of all those letters tell at the same pace what has happened in the field of science in recent years. I’m saying it directly, I know I’m saying it rudely and there will be a backlash, but don’t write me letters. Those people who did not write a line during the tripling of this funding, I will ignore all those letters, although these days I receive dozens of letters on this topic. I don’t read your letters, dear letter writers, I don’t notice your letters, I look at the topic and immediately delete it, so be aware.” mentioned Nikol Pashinyan.

Let us remind you that recently 240 scientists signed an open letter regarding the 2027 science budget and addressed the open letter to Nikol Pashinyan, Ruben Rubinyan, members of the Government, and members of the National Assembly.

“In the coming years, public funding for research and development must increase significantly and consistently to reach 0.75% of GDP by 2030 and create a basis for the continued development of the sector. If growth is limited to around 5% in 2027, instead of the required minimum of 35%, the required growth in subsequent years should be much steeper, around 50% per year.

The experience of 2026 also deepens our concern. At least 7 billion drams intended for scientific research programs and scientific equipment with the additional budget supplement have not been allocated to date,” the scientists’ statement stated. in the letter.

168.am followed the traces of this letter, revealed several remarkable facts, which was the reason for the open letter and concerns of the scientists, as well as for the resignation of the former chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee, Sargis Armenian.

According to our source, the funding, which the Government has not yet transferred, has led to a number of problems in the sector.

“It was planned that they should buy equipment to equip the institutes, but they did not give the money. It’s clear, isn’t it, that if they haven’t given the money for the equipment, then this means that they won’t be able to do anything. There were plans, the tenders were announced in advance, applications were made through those tenders, the tenders were summarized, but they were not officially published because there is no money to give. This is a shame because it is a big scandal. There are people from abroad who, according to that program, were supposed to come to Armenia to work, they applied, they passed the competition, they won, but there is no money to give them. This also led to Sargis Armenian’s resignation.” on 168.am conveyed our source.

According to him, one of the problems was last year, when the funding was not increased, but they said that they would give additional money, but they did not. They didn’t give it this year either, but they promised that they would. The science committee also held competitions, assuming that they would give the money, but since they did not, Sargis Armenian was forced to resign. For example, an Armenian-Italian joint project was supposed to be announced in September, which was agreed with the Italian side, with the Italian Gitcom, but it was never done because the Government did not give the money.

“This is already a scandal with the Italian Gitcom. There are many such complications.

For the 2027 budget, the State Science Committee submitted an application of 39 billion drams in order to be able to implement all current programs. In addition, money had to be allocated to solve a number of issues related to the Academic City. First of all, they have not yet given money related to the Academic City, although they have not yet allocated land there. In fact, the Academic City “suffered” so to speak, well, it is a big deal, but they didn’t give real money for it. The academic city should work according to the plan in 2030, the technological cluster, how will they do it?

But all this aside, the worst thing is that before the elections held in June this year, the Government took and adopted a strategy according to which until 2030 science funding should be 1 percent of the GDP, of which 0.25 percent should be taken by the private sector and 0.75 percent by the Government. The government has accepted this strategy and actively promoted it during the elections. And that amount, 0.75 percent, is currently 0.3 percent, in order to become 0.75 percent, enormous increases must be made every year,” emphasized our interlocutor.

Continuing, he said that this year, the government did not even give the 39 billion drams they wanted, but instead gave 31.5 billion drams. As a result of all this, many programs that were planned will no longer be carried out. Here, he singled out the so-called leading research project, where the 50 strongest groups of scientists of the country were working. If this is not done, it means that 50 scientific groups in Armenia will be deprived of funding, which is nonsense.

“The 2027 budget did not provide for everything that was so loudly announced on the eve of the elections, accepted, boasted everywhere, but as a result, nothing was given,” emphasized our interlocutor.

It should be noted that yesterday, October 14 of 168.am in a conversation with the Government and the Ministry of Education and Culture, responding to our questions regarding the scientists’ letter, what will be the reaction of the departments, in particular, Nikol Pashinyan’s press spokesperson Melanya Harutyunyan said:

“I have reported to the Prime Minister about the open letter, I will inform you about the further process. At the moment, I have no information about the problem, we are aware of the scientists’ open letter.”

Hovhannes Yukinyan, the spokesman of the Minister of CGMS and said:

“We will address this topic tomorrow.”

Our interlocutor answered the question: in what format will they address it, will they meet with scientists or will a press conference be held?

“We will understand, we will say, probably after tomorrow’s session of the Government.”