Brain drain remains large problem for Armenian science: chairman

YEREVAN, September 8, /ARKA/. Brain drain remains still a large problem for Armenian science and what is being done to reverse it is insufficient, lamented today Samvel Harutyunian, chairman of Science Committee, an affiliation of education and science ministry.

‘Science is an open system because it is unable to progress without international cooperation, but many Armenian specialists and researchers choose to travel abroad and never come back,’ he said.

Speaking at a news conference he said finding a solution to this ‘painful’ problem depends also on the efficiency of education reforms.

Harutyunian said the number of relating problems will diminish once the educational system begins preparing specialists demanded by the local market.

‘Over the last years the government has been taking steps to correct the situation, but financing remains key to solving it. The annual government funding of science is about $24 million and along with grants the figure rises to $30 million. This is not a big amount and naturally Armenian specialist look for better jobs outside the country,’ he said.

But he could not say how many skilled Armenian specialist left abroad,, saying only the brain drain process was a dynamic one. -0-