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On January 29, the sitting of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) was held presided over RA NA Speaker, Chairman of the Council of ASUE Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan. RA Minister of Education and Science Mr. Armen Ashotyan participated at the works of the sitting

There were two issues on the agenda of the sitting: The results of the  ASUE 2009 Educational and Financial-Economic Activity and the Main Indices of the Budget Draft and On Making Amendments in the Organizational Structure of ASUE. By NA Speaker’s proposal the third one, Other Issues was added.

ASUE Rector Mr. Yuri Suvaryan gave a detailed report on the first two issues.

It was noted that the year 2010 is a jubilee year for the economists, as it will be 90^th anniversary of preparing economists with higher education in Armenia and 80^th anniversary of the ASUE foundation.

Touching upon the effective works of the university in the current year the rector noted that 7200 students study in five departments of the higher educational institution: 18 economic of bachelor's, 1 with engineering specialty and 4 with economic specialties, 18 specialties of the Master's degree and 4 economic specialties. The educational plans and programmes of all the bachelor's and the Master's degree specialties were upgraded, the reformed version of the system assessment of the knowledge. The test elaborations of the educational modules have been continued in the chairs, the test base has been improved and enriched. Serious novelties have been carried out, from which the most essential is the implementation of the interim examinations from 13 modules with automated test system, and in this case the computer assessed the student’s knowledge. In this current year in ASUE 3 more auditoriums with furnished modern equipment, two of them on the initiative of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia and the other one of the 8 insurance companies of the Republic of Armenia.

It’s remarkable that the ASUE pays great attention to the organization of the students’ experience, strengthening of the higher educational institution-employer relation: the two fairs of the organized work in the Congress hotel is the proof of it, in which almost all big organizations took part in the republic. The relations of cooperation of ASUE with the well-known Russian, European and American universities are expanded.

Mr. Suvaryan also did not avoid the problems to be solved and proposed to make amendments in the structure of the university, which will essentially promote the rise of efficiency of economic education.

At ASUE Council sitting RA NA Speaker, Chairman of the Council of ASUE Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan gave a speech:

“Esteemed Mr. Rector,
Dear lecturers,
Esteemed members of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics,
Dear students,

The achievements, undoubtedly, are remarkable. Due to sensible organization and the events of the improvement of the educational process of the works the number of the students increased, and it’s more important for me there is progress in their education in bachelor’s, as well as in the Master’s degree. This is very important today, when the knowledge gradually becomes a more required value, if you wish, more competitive product. The participation of the students, post-graduate students and lecturers of the different departments, branches of the higher educational institution in the scientific-research programmes, as well as in inter-higher educational institution relations, in different forums, their fruitful work, which is reflected in different scientific publications is not less important.

At the same time I can’t but touch upon several obvious problems and concerning issues for all of us. First of all, they also refer to the preparation of the scientific-pedagogical staff, which will ensure on one hand the generation gap and transfer of knowledge and experience to the new specialists and pedagogues, on the other hand, it will allow preparing more competitive staff members, who will be able to face the challenges with honour. We shall realize that today the lecturer is not the only source of specialized information. The students have access to numerous sources, which need specialized deep analyses and pedagogue’s support. The student-lecturer relation should be strengthened, I would like to hear from the lecturers, and it will be done at a new qualitative level. This will also allow solving the problems of continuous education being for a long time in progressive countries, making the economic education accessible for people of different age and different interests.”

Mr. Abrahamyan also emphasized the role of the state in the development process of the higher educational institutions. It was noted that due to state support the higher educational institutions are free of different kinds of taxes, including the property tax, value added tax and land tax.

Addressing to the Minister of Education and Science Mr. Abrahamyan noted that there were rectors of the higher educational institutions, who ignored “such issues” and urged “to remind the rectors that the support of the state to the higher educational institutions at all levels.”

The NA Speaker also highlighted the problem of having qualified students, as “in the quick changing world the diploma is not of big importance,” it’s necessary to take into account the specialized knowledge.

Touching upon the ASUE 2009 budget execution, NA Speaker, Chairman of the Council of ASUE Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan proposed the Council members to assess it “satisfactory” and record that “in future the higher educational institution will have more important, more precisely, more effective directions of spending it.”

Mr. Abrahamyan also noted that “every person irrespective of his/her position, post and age always must learn, needs to learn.”

Referring to the ASUE 2009 budget execution, the NA Speaker also noted that it may be assessed satisfactory, and critically analyzing the results of 2009 take a progressive step to the future. I would like once again to quote RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s words that Armenia every next day must be in better state than it has been in the previous day. It is equally applicable for the Armenian State University of Economics. Thus, we’ll have to do our best to consolidate the intellectual and material resources of the higher educational institution and aim them at the solution of the problems facing us.”

We’ll note that the ASUE Council, hearing and discussing the issue of Making Amendments in the Organizational Structure of ASUE, decided:

1. To accept the proposal of the Rectorate of the University on making structural amendments and consider necessary to set up department of Accounting and Audit with two chairs:

a.administrative accounting and audit

b.financial accounting

2. to set up two chairs on the basis of the Management chair

a.management

b.anti-crisis and tourism management.

3. To rename and restore the chairs of the financial departments.