RECTOR OF EUROPEAN ACADEMY VS. MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

Panorama.am
18:08 27/11/06

Today the rector of the European Regional Academy in the Caucasus,
Viktor Martirosyan, made a statement to journalists explaining the
reasons for the lack of state accreditation of the institute, as
minister of educational and science, Levon Lazarian earlier pointed
out. The rector said the European Academy is created based on the
decision of the government and intergovernmental agreements signed
with France, Italy and Germany.

"The academy has the status of intergovernmental higher educational
establishment just like the American, French and Armenian-Russian
universities," he pointed out. Last year 40 graduates were granted MA
degree of the European Academy. "They received diplomas equal to other
intergovernmental and government higher educational establishments
of the republic. Amendments in the law on higher education and
post-diploma education cancelled the notion of state diploma. Like in
many other countries, every educational establishment grants diplomas
of its establishment," Martirosyan noted.

Martirosyan said the academy has no obligation to copy the curriculum
of other educational establishments and has the right to have its own,
responding to Lazarian’s statement that the academy’s curriculum
is not approved by the state and differce from the program of other
higher educational establishments.

Reminder: The ministry of education and science opened a lawsuit
against the academy. The first court hearing will be held on December
1 in a district court.

European Regional Academy was opened on October 4, 2002. President
Robert Kocharyan took part in the ceremonial opening. Arthur
Baghdasaryan, ex-speaker of parliament and leader of Orinats Yerkir
party, is the chairman of the board of trustees of the academy.