RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan received today Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia John Gallagher․ The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Artհur Martirosyan and Director of the “British Council” Armenia Arevik Saribekyan.

The Ambassador congratulated the Minister on the formation of the new government, noting that he attaches importance to the continuation of cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, youth and sports.

In turn, the Minister wished the Ambassador fruitful work for the benefit of the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

Regarding the sectoral cooperation, Vahram Dumanyan highlighted the importance of effective cooperation between the ESCS Ministry and the British Council, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its activities in Armenia this year. As an example of successful cooperation, the Minister noted the opening of 16 English clubs in the regions of Armenia, which is a new opportunity to strengthen the capabilities of English teachers and is considered as a support for reforms in the field. “Such programs greatly contribute to increasing the efficiency of teacher training courses,” said Vahram Dumanyan.

In the context of inter-university cooperation, the Minister spoke about the “Creative Spark” program launched in 2018, which is aimed at stimulating reforms in the field of higher education and promoting the development of entrepreneurial skills. Given the features and opportunities of the "Creative Spark" program, the Minister proposed to expand the inter-university cooperation, considering also the opportunities for the exchange of experience. The Armenian side, in particular, is interested in the British experience in the field of higher education: the best models of Key Performance Indicators for higher education institutions (KPI), methodological approaches to the effectiveness of budget expenditures and the organization of training courses.

The ESCS Minister also highlighted the importance of implementing joint scientific-educational programs and establishing direct links between scientists, which can contribute to the creation of new opportunities for cooperation in the field of science.

The British Council in Armenia also supported the activities on the development of a strategy in the field of culture, with a special focus on cultural inclusion issues. Highly appreciating the activities carried out, Minister Vahram Dumanyan proposed to expand the programs by organizing Armenian-British culture days, art festivals and exhibitions. Other directions of expanding cooperation at the suggestion of the Minister, may include joint programs for the exchange of coaches and athletes, sports medicine, and the development of youth tourism. To coordinate the implementation of new cooperation programs, the ESCS Minister proposed to develop a memorandum of understanding.

ESCS Minister Vahram Dumanyan drew the attention of the British Ambassador to the issue of preserving the Armenian historical and cultural heritage, which came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war. He is hopeful that Azerbaijan will refrain from destroying and distorting about 4,000 Armenian historical monuments under their control based on the record of the situation by the partner countries, including the United Kingdom.

In this regard, Ambassador John Gallagher noted that the issue of preserving the Armenian cultural heritage is under the attention of the British Government, discussing the issue with the Azerbaijani side, as well as underlined the importance of the establishment of long-lasting peace in the region.

During the meeting the ESCS Minister touched upon the ongoing educational reforms in Armenia, noting that they cover all degrees of education - from preschool to higher education and science. The parties discussed issues related to the possibilities of expanding cooperation, touched upon the participation of Armenian representatives in the World Education Forum.