ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH THE HEADS OF STUDENTS’ COUNCILS OF THE UNIVERSITIES
ARMENPRESS
MAY 5, 2009
YEREVAN
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met today with the heads of students’
councils of the Armenian higher educational establishments.
The Presidential press office told Armenpress that greeting the
young guests the President underlined the commitment of the Armenian
authorities in the issue of establishment of strong students’
councils. According to Serzh Sargsyan, during the education
years the student must not only make steps towards the science and
scientific world but also be educated as a future citizen. Among the
issues existing in our reality pointing out to the imperfectness of
mechanisms of self-organization of the society and lack of traditions
of self-organization the President stressed that this is in reality
an important sphere and is related to the necessity of formation of
a new culture.
Establishment of strong students’ council has a function which fosters
the self-organization of the society. Here the young people for the
first time learn to combine over a general aim, organize themselves,
make joint decisions and fight for the personal rights.
This is a separate culture the rooting of which can greatly contribute
to the development of abilities to juxtapose powers of the society
in different spheres.
According to President Sargsyan "if mighty students’ councils are
established, it means that tomorrow mighty condominiums, mighty trade
unions and why not also mighty parties can be established".
Reminding the famous proverb which says "Future belongs to the young
people", the President said: "We do not want people to understand
that "the present does not belong to the young people" under this
saying. Of course the experience is an important thing and no clever
person must refuse from the experience. But at the same time we must
also understand and take into account that the experience can be
positive as well as negative. An experienced official is of course
a good and useful citizen for our country. But regrettably in many
cases the experienced official is also experienced in abuses. Thus
the most correct way is that we are able to successfully juxtapose
the experience and the juvenile enthusiasm. We are ready to do that
but we must also see young people ready to that".
Mentioning the example of the chess S. Sargsyan noted: "Up to the
latest years aged, experienced chess players were decisive in the
chess world. But today the young chess players have taken up the role
of the leader. Already now the 8, 9, 10 year old children successfully
play against experienced grand masters; leaders of the world cup are
exclusively young people which once more speaks about the fact that
today the world needs fresh ideas and non standard solutions.
And for this reason the opportunities of young people become
limitless. There is a limitless field of activity for the youth
in our country as well. We need initiative state officials, young
initiative scientists. And you must solve this issue. Your previous
generations implemented their historical mission with honor: thanks
to your grandparents Armenia became a state of general intelligence
and education and educated people are regarded with honor in Armenia.
Your fathers, mothers and sisters could built and create a free
and independent Armenia and now you should be able to continue the
process but it is impossible to be done without knowledge and active
social position".
Noting that the youth faces many issues the President Sargsyan singled
out some of them.
"First, the young people must permanently deal with the consolidation
of our independent statehood. Without an active youth we will not be
able to have a strong statehood and without a strong statehood the
development of our state is impossible.
Second, the youth are obliged to be the creators and establishers
of new science. We have a great need of young scientists in all the
spheres started from the Armenology and finished with exact sciences.
Third, our youth must be free citizens of a free state. If a person
does not feel free he cannot conduct great works and no one doubts
that our country needs great works".
After the President’s speech a concerned discussion and exchange
of thoughts on the issues the studentship is concerned with took
place. Particularly a refer has been made to the process of educational
reforms, state-order – labor market relationship, social issues, the
post-graduate education and staff preparation as well as the military
patriotic education of the youth. On the request of the students the
President has also spoken about the urgent foreign political issues.