Armenian scientists’ salaries to triple by 2026
YEREVAN, Dec. 3. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired today a meeting that was convened to discuss the effective use of the funding earmarked for the science in the country’s state budget for 2022.
The meeting was attended by the heads of concerned government agencies, as well as representatives of the private sector, the government's press service reported.
It quoted Pashinyan as saying that the budgetary funding for science in 2022 will increase by about 85% compared to 2021, while the amounts allocated for scientific research will increase 2.5 times, amounting to 6.7 billion drams.
"The aggregate funding for science is doubling compared to 2017-2018. I would also like to note that we have already adopted a decision to increase the basic salaries of researchers until 2026," he said.
According to the Prime Minister, the salary of scientists, which today is about 90 thousand drams, will amount to 276 thousand drams in 2026, while the salaries of the heads of scientific departments will rise from today's 141,000 drams to 477,000 drams in 2025-2026.
Pashinyan emphasized correct distribution of the financing allocated to the sector, which will not only increase salaries but will contribute also to achieving concrete mid-term results which will later have an economic impact.
Sargis Hayotsyan, the Chairman of the Science Committee, presented the programs and measures envisaged in the sphere of scientific and technical activities in 2022, which include modernization of scientific infrastructure, rehabilitation of scientific centers, development of professional skills, retraining of young scientists abroad, promotion of experience exchange programs and holding international competitions.
According to Hayotsyan, steps will be taken to improve the efficiency of state funding in science, to regulate the legal field as stipulated by the Law on Higher Education and Science.
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