On February 20 Vahan Hovhanisyan, NA Vice President met with a number of Armenian scientists. The members of the ARF faction attended the meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting NA Vice President mentioned that the question on the reform of the science and the Academy of Sciences has been under discussion lately, different mutually exclusive viewpoints voiced. The meeting aims at clarifying the approaches of the scientists and the heads of different scientific branches on the above-mentioned questions, at listening to their suggestions before holding parliamentary hearings.

Ruben Hovsepyan, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth believes that the scientists can suggest the best way out of this situation.

Levon Mkrtchyan, Head of the ARF faction mentioned that the faction has livened up the activities in several directions. The first is the Armenological direction: the faction has come up with three legislative initiatives, proposed the government to establish Armenological programmes, improve the educational system with regard to Armenology. Touching upon the problem of the Academy of Sciences (AS), Mr. Mkrtchyan noted that there can be no constructive changes in the Academy without the change of the respective law, therefore the role of the parliament is highlighted here and the meeting can be of great importance with this regard.

Aram Shahinyan, academician of the Academy of Sciences informed that the concept on science reforms in Armenia in which the question on the reform of the AS is not included, is included in the programme of 2006 on the government activities, however, the question of the AS reform has been put into circulation for some reason or other which is a consequence of backstage conversations and has brought forth disorder in the society.

The scientists mentioned that they have lack of information on the science reform and the Academy and expressed anxiety on the privatization of the scientific-educational institutions. Lenser Aghalovyan, Head of the Institute of Mechanics, Albik Mkrtchyan, Head of the Institute of Applied Physics, Konstantin Karagyozyan, Head of the Institute of Molecular Physics, Bagrat Gharibjanyan, Head of the Institute of the Fine Organic Chemistry and the other academicians categorically opposed the idea of turning the Academy of Sciences into a public organization, of passing to a one degree scientific system, which will completely corrupt the science and it will take decades to restore it. They spoke about the scientists’ low salary, which hinders the access of the young personnel into the science, they thought it necessary to set up a production attached to scientific institutions, clarifying the status of different branches of science in the society and economy was focused on. Some academicians opposed the idea of the science reform, mentioning that our science doesn’t need it as we have world scientific schools. The academician Henrik Hovhannisyan proposed to introduce an evaluation standard of scientific work, index of citing. He also mentioned that science, as well as the church and the symphony orchestra are not subject to reforms. Artsrun Avagyan, Dean of the Philological Faculty of the Yerevan State University suggested that the exams on the Armenian literature and the History of the Armenian people should be compulsory for the middle classes of the schools, the writers excluded from the textbooks, particularly Gabriel Sundukian, Perch Proshian, Stepan Zorian, Hakob Paronian and others should be included in the school programmes. He also suggested that the subjects Armenian literature and Essay should be compulsory at the entrance exams and that they create two scientific cells in the Yerevan State University and the Language Institute, which will be engaged in the problems on orthography approach.

Other valuable suggestions also voiced during the meeting.

Summing up the meeting, Vahan Hovhannisyan mentioned that the development of science should be a part of the national security. The development of science in Armenia has no alternative, as it is a matter of the national security. He believes that the idea that we may lose our science and that it will take decades and great financial means to reconstruct it has matured in the society, therefore according to NA Vice President, it is necessary to take decisive steps. Mr. Hovhannisyan noted that the next meeting will be enlarged in the personnel and some representatives of the government will also be invited.