As part of the visit to the Kingdom of Spain, ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan held a meeting with the Secretary General of Scientific Research of Spain Eva Ortega.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the perspectives of enhancing cooperation between Armenia and Spain in the fields of higher education and science. Minister Zhanna Andreasyan presented the ongoing reform process, emphasizing the establishment of the Committee on Higher Education and Science last year to integrate the fields of higher education and science and create a unified system and policy.

The Minister stressed the significance of cooperation between the relevant structures of the two countries, in the context of which an agreement was reached on signing a memorandum of cooperation in the field of science and technology between the MoESCS Committee on Higher Education and Science and the Spanish National Research Council.

Presenting the state policy for science development, Zhanna Andreasyan noted that efforts are made to expand and stimulate the engagement of young individuals in the field, emphasizing in this context the significance of joint scientific and research activities.

The “Erasmus” and “Horizon Europe” programs were also touched upon at the meeting. The parties agreed to collaborate on presenting joint projects within the framework of cooperation programs. At the same time, it was emphasized that productive cooperation already does exist: there are approximately 2,500 joint publications between Armenian and Spanish scientists and researchers.

The Minister presented the “Academic City” program to the Spanish side, emphasizing inter-university cooperation and joint work in IT, Natural Sciences and Agro-Technologies within that framework. It was noted that the educational institutions of RA are interested in expanding the already existing scope of cooperation with the Kingdom of Spain, activating mutual visits and organizing joint events.

The meeting also touched upon the possibility of conducting joint research in the field of Armenian studies, since the Armenian Studies Chair operates at the Complutense University of Madrid, and the National Library houses Armenian manuscripts. In this context, it was noted that RA MoESCS provides scholarships for Armenian studies.