RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan received today a delegation led by Cilian Nolan, Director of the Europe Office of the J-PAL Research Centre affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee, Sargis Hayotsyan and Director of Dilijan Training and Research Centre of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia, Gevorg Minasyan also attended the meeting.

The delegation, led by Cilian Nolan, is participating in a workshop on the application of experimental methods in the process of developing and evaluating public policies, held from April 20-24 at the Dilijan Research Centre of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia in collaboration with the J-PAL Research Centre.

Welcoming the guests, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan reiterated Armenia's commitment to developing mostly research-based policymaking. Zhanna Andreasyan highlighted the significance of cooperation with the prestigious J-PAL Research Centre, describing it as a key platform for the exchange of international best practices, capacity building, and the implementation of joint initiatives.

Minister specifically emphasized the vital role of the education and science sectors in advancing the quality of public policies and fostering public development.

The meeting addressed possible avenues for cooperation with the Centre. Particular emphasize was placed on the application of experimental research methods in the field of education, as well as to the development of relevant institutional and research infrastructures, based on successful international experience, including the IDEE (Innovation, Data and Experiments in Education) model implemented in France.

Thankful for the reception, Director of the Europe Office of the J-PAL Research Centre, Cilian Nolan emphasized willingness to cooperate with Armenia. He presented that J-PAL (The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab) is a research Centre working to reduce poverty and increase the efficiency of public policies. According to him, the Center is anchored by a network of more than 1,100 researchers from around the world and promotes the development of evidence-based policies.

In a conversation with Cilian Nolan, Zhanna Andreasyan presented the reforms currently implemented at various education levels in the Republic of Armenia, in accordance with the “RA Education Development State Program until 2030”. The Minister stated that reform assessments have already been conducted with the support of the World Bank.

During the meeting, the importance of international cooperation was emphasized. Zhanna Andreasyan reported that Armenia is also in close collaboration with the Institute of Education (IOE) at University College London (UCL), including on the development of research capacities.

Reference was also made to the 2026-2030 Science Development Strategy, under which ambitious targets have been set. It was noted that the state has already launched major scientific research programs, including the establishment of new laboratories in collaboration with international specialists.

The meeting also addressed other bilateral issues.