Moscow State in Yerevan: News of Russian university opening draws fi

Moscow State in Yerevan: News of Russian university opening draws fire

Society | 05.09.14 | 16:22
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By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter

The decision by the Government of Armenia to open a branch of the
Lomonosov Moscow State University was met with criticism and
discontent by those who see the move as more “Russification” of
Armenia.

“All negotiations regarding opening the school were led on
governmental level, thus is there any study which clarifies that there
is public demand for opening that institution in Armenia,” said Armen
Hovhannisyan, a member of “We are against foreign language schools
reopening” civic campaign.

At a meeting with reporters Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan said that the government is interested in having a branch of
Moscow State in Yerevan, because of its reputation as a leading
institute of higher education.

“By opening a new institute it will be possible to trigger competition
in the field. We have been leading negotiations for five years now,
and we have finally reached an agreement. Our government approved of
our desire, and now we are waiting for their decision,” Ashotyan said.

MSU opens its branches in countries where they agree to take all
responsibilities for funding the branch. It has branches in Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan. According to the agreement of founding a branch of the
Russian school in Yerevan, financing of all professorial and other
staff of the branch is done from the state budget. There are other
international Universities in Armenia – American and French
Universities, European Regional Academy, where the state participation
is limited to simply having a dozen scholarship positions.

A member of Yerevan City Council, Heritage party spokesman Davit
Sanasaryan mentions that he has nothing against a branch of any
University in Armenia, but it would have been better to use that money
for tuition fees of many young students whose families are unable to
pay, or to increase professorial salaries, which would be more
effective.

Armen Hovhannisyan mentions that with the money allocated for founding
that University, local educational systems could be repaired, and
within five years have results, instead the money will go to support a
Russian institution.

Harutyun Karapetyan, founding father of national fund of leading
technologies, thinks that by opening a branch of Lomonosov University
state officials proceed with ‘Kisilyov’ orders.

This summer at a meeting with a group of Armenian legislatives Russian
state TV reporter of Prime-Time news Dmitry Kisilyov, famous for being
one of Kremlin’s microphones, expressed his sorrow for the Russian
language degrading in Armenia, urging to grant it a state language
status, changing the law about language. Ex-Ambassador of Russia to
Armenia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko demanded Russian to be made a second
state language in Armenia.

“We all know that there is a crisis in the Armenian higher education
system, lack of students, provincial schools are on the brink of
liquidation, and another university, especially in Russian and at the
cost of our budget, definitely has political intent. It will be huge
expenses for our budget. Our good specialists – of science and
technology – are no worse than them, and they are in poverty. If they
want a high class institution, they should first involve those people
in our rotting Universities,” Karapetyan said.

Reflecting on the criticism Minister Ashotyan mentioned that when the
English language bachelor degree for four years and three faculties in
the American University supported by the state was being opened there
was no criticism. He does not reject the fact that the Russian
school’s opening is viewed in the context of Armenian-Russian
relations and he will not be surprised if he is criticized for being a
puppet of the Kremlin.

“All that is really funny already… Isn’t the French University viewed
in the context of Armenian-French relations, or is the American
University merely an educational institution,” he said.

Hranush Kharatyan considers that according to the Armenian
Constitution the state must provide equal opportunities.

“If the state makes allocations for one international institution,
does not this create unequal conditions for the educational business
environment and educational policy sphere?” Kharatyan told 168 Zham
newspaper.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress