RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan participated in a panel discussion on “Expectations of the state and society from the University today and tomorrow”, which took place as part of the Yerevan State University Alumni Forum.

ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan informed that at today's Government session, the draft law “On Higher Education and Science” was approved and sent to the National Assembly, which clearly outlines the expectations of higher education and science. “Regardless of the time frame, the public expectation from higher education and science remains the same: to become a link which will enable the development of the state and society. The mission of higher education and science is to ensure the competitiveness of the country at the individual and social levels,” ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan noted.

The Minister stated that the field of higher education and science enables every individual to discover their abilities and foster lifelong growth, contributing to the self-realization of the individual.

“An individual is a social being, and his interests and goals, values, and positions align with the public code of conduct. And if education and science are to serve the common good, they must be beneficial to both the individual and society simultaneously,” noted Zhanna Andreasyan.

According to the Minister, a system where an individual is competitive and able to feel appreciated and happy does not contradict the goal of having a prosperous state and a developed society. “It is impossible to have a good state in which people suffer. If we don't feel good and don't imagine our lives in our country as self-actualized individuals, then the country's agenda is not established correctly,” she stated.

According to Zhanna Andreasyan, education is a public good, and although poverty eradication is not the direct objective of the education system, however, if properly implemented, it can be the outcome.

During the panel discussion, ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan also made a reference to the comparability of formal and non-formal educational forms in the era of information technologies.

According to her, the variety of information sources available to us implies a set of skills to use them. Micro-qualifications, non-formal education recognition tools, are designed to bridge the gap between formal and non-formal education and incorporate non-formal education into the formal one without forcing them to be opposed.

“The gap disrupts the possibility of an efficient dialogue between the two forms of education. The correct skills are required, which must be formed through knowledge; in other words, it is important that the formation of the necessary skills goes through the process of knowledge assimilation. Teaching activities should correspond to the technological advancements and the contemporary requirements of students, separating the true essence of the lecture from the school teaching format,” said the Minister.

The RA Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan and the RA Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan, also delivered speeches at the panel discussion.

During the discussion, the panellists also responded to the questions of those present.