YSU VICE-RECTOR GEGHAM GEVORGYAN’ S MEETING WITH JOURNALISTS AND EXPLANATIONS RELATED TO THE PROBLEM OF BASIC FINANCING

In accordance with the RA Government Decision N1515 “On the activities ensuring the performance of the budget of the Republic of Armenia provided for 2019” made on January 27, 2018, the state basic financing of the scientific and scientific-technical activity has been determined as a grant and it is to be disbursed in competition procedure.

During the meeting with journalists Gegham Gevorgyan explained that the Government decision was unexpected.

He said that in accordance with the RA Law “On scientific and scientific-technical activity”, there are three types of scientific activity financing: preservation and development of the infrastructure, financing of thematic programs and targeted programs. He claimed that the law clearly determines that targeted programs and thematic grants are to be made through competitions.

No competition has been provided for infrastructure preservation and development up today, there has been only an expertise. According to the Vice-Rector, YSU doesn’t avoid competitions but it is against radical shifts. “It was announced in advance that programs are to be submitted and we did it. After December 20 we prolonged the job contracts with the scientific workers, and on December 27 it was suddenly decided that the programs are to be financed by competition. I can’t imagine financing of YSU physical-technical research centres via competition. Does it mean that any other organization can win the competition for preservation of YSU infrastructure?“

200 of the 450 researchers who received the notification about redundancy are solely scientific workers, others combine their jobs. Besides, since January they lost their additional pays of 25 and 50 thousand drams they were getting for their scientific degrees”, said Gegham Gevorgyan.

In response to the journalists’ question what scientific losses YSU can have, Gegham Gevorgyan answered that the losses will affect the science in the whole republic. “This decision of the Government relates to more than 100 scientists who provide more than a half of scientific production. What will give us suspension of the Matenadaran’s financing? Of the Museum-Institute of the Genocide financing? YSU can try to survive by means of tuition fees, but the Matenadaran gets state financing and has no other financial sources. The answer of these questions is vital”.

It should be noted that YSU Academic Council sent a letter expressing its position to the RA Prime Minister. No reply has been received yet.