SPEECH OF NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN DELIVERED…

Azat Artsakh Daily
19 Jan 09
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

At the enlarged meeting of the Artsakh State University Board (January
16, 2009, Stepanakert) Dear attendees, Ladies and gentlemen, I am
glad for having an opportunity to meet you and discuss together both
problems the sphere of education and science of our republic faces and
mechanisms to solve them. Education and science have traditionally
served as basic means for revealing, developing and applying our
principal wealth, the intellectual potential of the society. The future
of a nation and a state, the paces and prospects of the development
of economy and its different spheres to a great extent depend on
education, specially the higher one. The sphere of education and
science is of special importance to such countries as Artsakh whose
steady development is based on intensive modes of production and
science intensive technologies. Education plays an invaluable role in
the hard process of bringing up the younger generation. Such crucial
qualities as patriotism, fairness, decency, law-abidance, which are the
pillars of a civilized, democratic, powerful and developed state, are
shaped during the educational processes. Hence, even a slight omission
in the sphere of education could lead to quite serious consequences
for development of the whole country in the future. The role of

education and science is becoming even more important today, when
we have on the agenda such issues as keeping pace with civilized the
civilized world, integrating with the international community while
simultaneously maintaining our identity and values of centuries. Only
the existence of a developed, modern and national educational system
can guarantee this. For this very reason the development of the
sphere is among the priorities of our state and is permanently in the
spotlight of the authorities. Some reforms are being carried out in
the sphere to give a new impetus to the development of the sphere of
education and science and to adapt it to modern requirements. Necessary
steps have been taken to build, renovate and modernize educational
centers, to improve social and work conditions of the faculty. The
state realizes consistent policies in this direction. In the 2009 state
budget allocations to the sphere of education and science exceed those
of the 2008 by 24,7 percent or by 1,8 billion drams. The entire volume
of the allocated means amounts to 9,3 billion drams. In comparison
with the previous year in 2009 budgetary allocations to the sphere
of higher education have increased by 68,8 percent or 183, 3 million
drams and constitute 450 million drams. Tangible increase has been
registered in salary and scholarship. I would like to note that these
trends will be of a continuous nature. The Artsakh State Univ ersity
represents one of keystones of the republic’s educational system.

It plays an important role in the development of education and science,
preparation of professional cadres and state building. It is the
result of 40-year long traditions that were further strengthened
during the years of the national liberation movement. 400 students
of the university actively participated in the Artsakh war, 75 of
them sacrificed their lives defending the Motherland. Eternal Glory
to them! In the modern period the Artsakh State University faces
different problems of various nature and to find effective solutions
to them it is necessary comprehend the situation in a right way and
estimate it objectively. Wishful thinking is inadmissible for it only
hinders the amelioration of the situation further complicating it.

As an Alma mater of an independent state, the university should be
main educational and scientific center of the republic. I would like to
mention that here we face serious challenges, the most important being
an obvious disproportion of educational and scientific components. The
Artsakh State University lags behind in its mission to be the main
scientific center of the country. The fact that only the departments
of philology and humanities have published monographs in the 2007-2008
academic year speaks for itself.

The share of these two departments in the number of published
scientific articles constitutes 55 percent. On the othe r hand, the
agricultural department has published only 4 scientific articles,
occupying thus the last place among all the departments. And this
is against the background that agriculture traditionally has been
the backbone of our economy. I am hopeful that the foundation of the
branch of the Armenian State Agriculture University in Artsakh will
also highly contribute to the development of science in the sphere
of agriculture.

These figures give rise to serious conclusions. It is evident that
humanitarian spheres prevail in the scientific field of the university.

These spheres are undoubtedly very important and it is necessary
further develop scientific thought in this sphere. At the same time,
serious attention should be also paid to other spheres of science
in order to secure comprehensive development of the state. It
is praiseworthy that lectures of Artsakh State University have
published scientific articles in the sphere of technical sciences
abroad, particularly in Russia. However, it is concerning that
within the last two years no dissertation on technical sciences has
been defended. Necessary works must be carried out in the course of
developing technical sciences and a number of other fields. We are
well-aware that the above-mentioned issues cannot be solved by Artsakh
State University on its own. Here we need a systematic approach,
a combined work and a close co-operation between the government,
different st ate bodies and agencies as well as economic players. This
will enable to define real needs in different professions on a
scientific and precise basis as well and train qualified specialists
for different fields of economy. The preparation of skilled specialists
in accordance with modern requirements presupposes continuous
improvement of the quality of education. Both the university’s faculty
and the students have serious work to do. The tasks put before the
staff demand appropriate professional skills, moral and psychological
features. The governing body of the university should pay serious
attention to raising the scientific level. Within this context I
consider important periodic trainings of the faculty, establishment
of international links, formation of scientific associations, active
participation in foreign conferences, as well as the establishment
and expanding relations between different scientific, educational
institutions and universities of Armenia, Diaspora and foreign
countries. In order to improve the quality of education it is also
necessary modernize material and technical basis, laboratories,
cabinets and lecture halls. I consider very much important the
establishment of electronic library, which will give a new impetus to
the development of the university’s scientific-educational potential.
To further improve the education process there should be introduced
some structural changes too. A number of sub-departments have to
be ref ormed and staffed with new qualified cadres. I consider
positive the foundation of the sub-department for pre-recruiting
preparation in Artsakh State University in the current academic
year, which is intended to improve preparation of specialists in the
sphere of basic military training. This will definitely contribute to
strengthening our country’s defensive capacity. Within the context
of developing education the readiness of Artsakh State University to
join the Bologna process is of special importance. This will allow
becoming a part of the European higher education space, of course,
taking into consideration the peculiarities of our country. I hope
that the credit system introduced in the new academic year will have
a palpable impact on the quality of education as well as on the
professional level of the faculty. For Artsakh State University
to carry out its work in an efficient manner the availability of
proper building conditions is of great importance. The administrative
building of the university recently put into operation will assist
to organize the conduct of classes in one session, the new sports
hall will be a serious stimulus on the way of activating sports life.
In the process of improving the quality of education securing healthy
moral and psychological atmosphere in the university is of the utmost
importance. A consistent and persistent struggle should be waged
against any vicious phenomenon that contradicts to the high title of
a lecturer. I have been informed by the leadership of the university
about the appropriate steps taken in this direction. I also consider
important the fact that while struggling against this phenomenon
for the first time an attempt was made to combine the efforts of
the faculty, the students and their parents. Dear attendees, the
development and problems the vital sphere of educational and science
faces will continue to be in the spotlight of the authorities of
the state.

I will personally follow the course of reforms carried out in the
sphere. I am confined that we will succeed in having a modern and
competitive educational and scientific system and famous Alma Mater.

Thank you.