THE ACADEMY WILL BE REFORMED OR WILL REACH A DEADLOCK

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[01:47 pm] 12 April, 2006

The annual general session of the National Academy of Science convened
today. The scientist gathered in the NAS hall first listened to the
speech of the ex NAS President Fadey Sargsyan. He was especially
excited at the fact that at the beginning of the session the message
of the Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II was read.

The message said that during his 12-year office Fadey Sargsyan did
everything for the development of the Academy and is a deserved son
of the Armenian nation.

“I would not be able to do anything if it weren’t for the support of
all the workers of the Academy.

Nevertheless, I am sure that whoever becomes the next President will
work better than me”, Mr. Sargsyan said. As for the message of the
Catholicos, he considered the blessing of His Holiness the greatest
award of his life.

Nevertheless, the scientists who made speech during the session
did not share the opinion about the development of the Academy. He
announced that no reforms have been introduced for 12 years and that
the NAS has almost twice as more workers as it needs. If there are
2500 people working in the Academy instead of 3700 and the budget
allots 8 million AMD instead of 6 million, the scientists will get
a salary of 100 thousand AMD and will be able to work properly.

The NAS annual report was represented by Academician Edward Ghazaryan,
the secretary of the Academy and the ex Minister of Education and
Science. He criticized the Mass Media for announcing that the Academy
is idle and has published only three books in a year.

Ghazaryan announced that for the last year the scientists
have published not three but 138 monographs and organized 20
international conferences in which more than 400 foreign scientists
have participated.

“The majority of the awards given by the RA President has been given to
the scientists who get a miserable salary but still continue working”,
Edward Ghazaryan said.

To note, after the resignation of Fadey Sargsyan Edward Ghazaryan is
considered the main candidate for the post of the NAS President. The
elections of the President and the NAS Presidium will be held in
a month.