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PAST YEARS' SCIENTIFIC REFORMS YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS IN ARMENIA, SAYS OFFICIAL
12:51 * 15.10.14
The science development strategy is a very important and valuable tool
which has already produced certain results, a senior education official
has said, highlighting the significance of the past years' reforms.
Speaking to Tert.am, Head of the State Committee of Science Samvel
Harutyunyan praised the recent 4-5 years' achievements in the sector,
noting that they considerably outnumber the measures taken in the
previous decade and half.
"What we had from the independence period [early 1990's] until 2008
were only a couple of decisions; from 2008 onwards, 30 agreements
have been signed and over 40 decisions were made on the level of
the Government and the prime minister. Most of the decisions are of
formative significance. One law was passed, and two more are on the
National Assembly's [agenda] now. We have two mega-projects decisions:
CANDLE [Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light
Emission] and the nuclear medicine program," he explained.
Harutyunyan noted in the meantime that the number of scientists has
decreased fivefold since the Soviet period. "We had 33,000 scientists
in Armenia in the Soviet times; today the number reaches 7,000,
which is five times less," the official said.
But he considered the number quite normal, noting that Soviet
Armenia's scientific and research potential was directed to the entire
USSR, not one country alone. "Our scientist and 70 percent of our
[research] institutes engaged in applied sciences, and they had
a union-wide significance. For example, the Institute of Physics,
the Computer Research and Development [Institute] and many others
were establishments of a union-wide significance which served the
superpower. The number is quite big for Armenia alone, whereas for the
Soviet Union, it's absolutely normal. We now have 7,000 employees of
whom 4,000 are scientists, with the other 3,000 constituting ancillary
staff. So 4,000 is quite a normal figure for our state. Our problem
has to do with the age of scientists. Doctors' average age here
is above 60, while those holding the degree of a PhD candidate are
over 55. This speaks about the ageing of science, although the past
4-5 years' reforms have made the age younger by five to six years,
which I think is quite a good result."
Armenian News - Tert.am
12:51 * 15.10.14
The science development strategy is a very important and valuable tool
which has already produced certain results, a senior education official
has said, highlighting the significance of the past years' reforms.
Speaking to Tert.am, Head of the State Committee of Science Samvel
Harutyunyan praised the recent 4-5 years' achievements in the sector,
noting that they considerably outnumber the measures taken in the
previous decade and half.
"What we had from the independence period [early 1990's] until 2008
were only a couple of decisions; from 2008 onwards, 30 agreements
have been signed and over 40 decisions were made on the level of
the Government and the prime minister. Most of the decisions are of
formative significance. One law was passed, and two more are on the
National Assembly's [agenda] now. We have two mega-projects decisions:
CANDLE [Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light
Emission] and the nuclear medicine program," he explained.
Harutyunyan noted in the meantime that the number of scientists has
decreased fivefold since the Soviet period. "We had 33,000 scientists
in Armenia in the Soviet times; today the number reaches 7,000,
which is five times less," the official said.
But he considered the number quite normal, noting that Soviet
Armenia's scientific and research potential was directed to the entire
USSR, not one country alone. "Our scientist and 70 percent of our
[research] institutes engaged in applied sciences, and they had
a union-wide significance. For example, the Institute of Physics,
the Computer Research and Development [Institute] and many others
were establishments of a union-wide significance which served the
superpower. The number is quite big for Armenia alone, whereas for the
Soviet Union, it's absolutely normal. We now have 7,000 employees of
whom 4,000 are scientists, with the other 3,000 constituting ancillary
staff. So 4,000 is quite a normal figure for our state. Our problem
has to do with the age of scientists. Doctors' average age here
is above 60, while those holding the degree of a PhD candidate are
over 55. This speaks about the ageing of science, although the past
4-5 years' reforms have made the age younger by five to six years,
which I think is quite a good result."
Armenian News - Tert.am