THERE IS MONEY, THERE ARE NO SPECIALISTS

KarabakhOpen
24-12-2007 12:19:54

In a recent open session of the Board the rector of Artsakh State
University Hamlet Grigoryan announced proudly that the "university has
sufficient funds for the educational process". According to financial
statement of ASU, in 2005-2006 the income of the university totaled
730 million drams, of which 448.8 million drams from tuition fees.

The rector enumerated the achievements of the past year – scientific
conference, cooperation with private universities, purchase of
inventory, etc. He also added the observatory of the university
which is unique in the region but is covered with dust because it
is not used. Although, the rector says the "flow of students on the
stairs to the observatory should not stop." The rector mentioned that
nobody uses the internet in the university – he understood this when
he disconnected it and did not get any complaints. The rector also
complained that the library is not useful either. Hamlet Grigoryan
noted with pain that "all the botanists disappear when they need to
plant a flower in front of the university."

Besides hailing achievements, the rector also complained of the staff.

Although it is not clear who is to blame for the bad work of the
staff and to whom the rector complains.

Suddenly the flow of complaints stopped, and the rector attacked the
Demo Newspaper with accusations. For instance, why the Demo reported
the dispute of the university professor Gagik Baghunts and the trial
which ended in favor of Baghunts. The rector forgot about the students
and teachers and looking in the eye of the "opposition reporter",
accused the newspaper of working on foreign money and "not caring
for our country".

It is notable that over the five years of study at the department of
journalism at Artsakh State University the students are taught the
structure of a photo camera on a box of matches. In the seminars on
the theory of journalism the students are offered to write essays on
the falling leaves in autumn and the summer holidays. Students pay
for their classes but there are no special textbooks, to say nothing
about internship at the local mass media. A few years ago the students
tried to publish their own newspaper because they did not want to
publish odes in the university newspaper but after the first issue
had appeared, the rector did not allow working on the second issue.

Therefore, only 4 or 5 of hundreds of graduates of the department of
journalism over the past few years are working now. And the media
say they need a new generation of journalists. In a recent meeting
of parliament the prime minister stated that the country lacks
specialists. Meanwhile, ASU issues about 1000 specialists every year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress