Armenia’s higher education advanced after joining to bologna process : WB representative

YEREVAN, May 7./ARKA./. Armenian higher education posted significant progress after the republic had joined the Bologna declaration, Naira Melkumyan, chief specialist for programs at World Bank Armenia, said Tuesday.

 “Since 2005, when Armenia joined the Bologna process, the republic’s higher education significantly progressed and we saw some pre-conditions to improve the system,” she said at the opening of “Reforms of Armenia’s higher education system” conference. 

Melkumyan highlighted the World Bank intends to continue supporting Armenian government in its efforts to introduce educational reforms.

Acting Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan noted despite skeptical sentiments amid some Armenian social circles when Armenia was joining the Bologna process, the educational reforms are quite successful.

“In 2005 none of representatives of the educational sphere could even imagine that seven years later our higher education system and Armenia itself will have such a huge recognition and respect from the European higher education,” he clarified. 

Acting Minister of Education, as a proof, reminded that in 2012 Armenia was delegated the functions to form the Bologna process secretariat.

“Our country was honored for many things, including comprehensive educational reforms,” he added.

Ashotyan also noted the educational reforms in Armenia are still facing huge resistance which actually weakens them. 

The conference is to discuss the reforms in Armenian education in accordance with the Bologna declaration. 

Armenia joined the Bologna Declaration in 2005 committing to make its higher education system meet the European standards. At preset, 45 countries are the members of the Bologna process, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. 

The Bologna Declaration was signed in Bologna (Italy) on 12 June 1999. It is a commitment freely taken by each signatory country to reform its own higher education system or systems in order to create overall convergence at European level. It was signed by 29 countries.—0-