SCIENTISTS EXPRESS ANXIETY THAT REFORMS OF SCIENCE TO BE HELD IN PERIOD OF CHANGING ACADEMY HEADS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 10 sitting of the
Chairmanship of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Prime
Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian officially stated about RA
NAS Chairman Fadey Sargsian’s resignation. The decision about it was
adopted by the RA Government on April 6.

By another decision of the RA Government made on April 10, 2006,
Fadey Sargsian is appointed the RA Prime Minister’s Advisor. Before
the elections, Academician Sergey Hambardzumian will be the acting
Chairman of the NAS. While discussing the coming reforms in the sphere
of science, the Prime Minister stated that the package of reforms,
presented to the RA Government will be discussed only after elections
of the new Chairman of the RA NAS. Connected with it, some actual
questions were raised at the Chairmanship of the RA NAS: particularly,
issues of necessity of holding elections of correspondening members
as soon as possible and about elections of new directors of the
institute, connected with age qualification (65 years old). It was
mentioned that reforms must be held in calm situation, but not in the
period of changing heads of scientific departments and the Chairman
of the RA NAS. Academician E.Gabrielian proposed to make changes
in the Regulations of the academy as well, for the election for the
posts of the Chairman and academicians-secretaries is limited by two
terms. The Prime Minister promised that elections of corresponding
members will not be connected with reforms.