PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE RA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

armradio.am
26.04.2010 18:00

President Serzh Sargsyan received the members of the Governing Council
of the RA Academy of Sciences and Heads of the scientific and research
institutes of the Academy, Presidnet’s Press Office reported.

President Sargsyan said that after the annual general meeting of the
Academy it was necessary to discuss with the scientists the problems
that hinder Armenia’s scientific development and find the means
to eliminate them. "Previous discussions regarding this issue have
set the right course. I believe our priority should be to closely
connect science with the education and economy," the leader of the
country said.

Serzh Sargsyan highlighted three main avenues for developing education
and science in our country. "The first avenue we should take is
to reorganize the existing educational and scientific institutions
and use them more efficiently, i.e. to carry on with the process of
reformation. The second avenue is the creation of a new generation
of the educational and scientific institutions, like the one created
in Tavush – a modern boarding school, where teaching is conducted
in foreign languages, with the application of the newest teaching
methodologies. The third avenue is to provide our students and young
scientists with the opportunity to study in the best educational and
scientific establishments abroad," the President of Armenia noted.

President Sargsyan informed that the rites of the Luys Foundation,
which provides funds for the Armenian students’ to study at the world’s
best establishments, would be doubled so that a greater number of the
Armenian students could study abroad. Serzh Sargsyan stressed also
the necessity of creating opportunities for the young scientists to
get training abroad, noting that corresponding steps would be taken
on that direction as well. "I know that there is a problem of housing
for the young scientists, and to solve the problem we are ready to
make serious investments. However, support will be provided only to
those young scientists, who are going to seriously work in science,
but not to those who after receiving master’s degree spend couple
of months in a scientific institution and then leave to do something
else," President Sargsyan said.

The academicians conversed with the President of the Republic about
a number of problems hindering the development of sciences in Armenia.

The absence of relevant testing and production structures and
facilities in the Academy was mentioned as the most pressing issue. As
a result, scientific achievements cannot be fully employed in the
economy. According to the academicians, the absence of necessary
structures and facilities also prevents the flow of private investments
into science which is imperative for conducting new research and
obtaining scientific results. It was also noted that it would be
necessary to create mechanisms for the enhanced cooperation between
the institutes of the Academy and relevant economic structures.

Participants to the meeting spoke also about the necessity of
developing humanitarian sciences, particularly those related to
the Armenian studies. The President of Armenia said that it is also
necessary to create conducive conditions for the scientists involved
in the Armenian studies abroad. The importance of publishing the works
of the Armenian scientists in foreign languages and presenting them
in electronic format was also underlined.

Along with the science development issues, the academicians reflected
also on the much debated issue of the Armenia-Turkey normalization
process. They expressed their support to the President on this issue
and expressed confidence that his actions have been efficient.

Representatives of the scientific community proposed to conduct such
meetings regularly, noting that obviously such discussions proved to
be very useful.

The President of Armenia approved the proposal and thanked the
scientists for a candid and interested discussion, noting that it
helped not only identify the problems but also to find concrete ways
to overcome them.