Armenia

Original Re.ViCa entry by Paul Bacsich

For entities in Armenia see Category:Armenia

Partners situated in Armenia

None.

Armenia in a nutshell

Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստան, transliterated: Hayastan), officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն, Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun), is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijan exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

The population of Armenia is 2.9 million.

Its capital is Yerevan.

A former republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is a unitary, multiparty, democratic nation-state with an ancient and historic cultural heritage. The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as its religion in the early years of the 4th century (the traditional date is 301). The modern Republic of Armenia recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church as the national church of Armenia, although the republic has separation of church and state with the Armenian Apostolic Church liable to the laws of the state. The native Armenian name for the country is Hayk’. The name in the Middle Ages was extended to Hayastan, by addition of the Iranian suffix -stan (land). The name has traditionally been derived from Hayk (Հայկ), the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and a great-great-grandson of Noah, who according to historians of the time defeated the Babylonian king Bel in 2492 BC, and established his nation in the Ararat region.

Armenia is a member of more than 40 international organisations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Asian Development Bank, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the World Trade Organization, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and La Francophonie. It is a member of the CSTO military alliance, and also participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. In 2004 its forces joined KFOR, a NATO-led international force in Kosovo.

It is also an observer member of the Eurasian Economic Community and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Armenia is classified as a country with medium human development and 10.6% of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.

Armenia is divided into ten provinces (marzer, singular marz), with the city (kaghak) of Yerevan (Երևան) having special administrative status as the country's capital. Within each province are communities (hamaynkner, singular hamaynk). Each community is self-governing and consists of one or more settlements (bnakavayrer, singular bnakavayr). Settlements are classified as either towns (kaghakner, singular kaghak) or villages (gyugher, singular gyugh). As of 2007, Armenia includes 915 communities, of which 49 are considered urban and 866 are considered rural. The capital, Yerevan, also has the status of a community. Additionally, Yerevan is divided into twelve semi-autonomous districts.

Armenia has a population of a little over 2.9 million (July 2009) and is the second most densely populated of the former Soviet republics. There has been a problem of population decline due to elevated levels of emigration after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The rates of emigration and population decline, however, have decreased drastically in the recent years, and a moderate influx of Armenians returning to Armenia have been the main reasons for the trend, which is expected to continue. In fact Armenia is expected to resume its positive population growth by 2010.

Ethnic Armenians make up almost all of the current population.

Armenia has a relatively large diaspora (8 million by some estimates, greatly exceeding the 3 million population of Armenia itself), with communities existing across the globe

The predominant religion in Armenia is Christianity. The roots of the Armenian Church go back to the first century. According to tradition, the Armenian Church was founded by two of Jesus' twelve apostles – Thaddaeus and Bartholomew – who preached Christianity in Armenia between AD 40–60. Because of these two founding apostles, the official name of the Armenian Church is Armenian Apostolic Church. Over 93% of Armenian Christians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, a form of Oriental (Non-Chalcedonian) Orthodoxy, which is claimed by some to be a very ritualistic, conservative church.

Armenians have their own distinctive alphabet and language. The alphabet was invented in AD 405 by Saint Mesrob Mashtots and consists of 38 letters, two of which were added during the Cilician period. 96% of the people in the country speak Armenian, while 75% of the population additionally speaks Russian - although English is becoming increasingly popular.

Armenia education policy

Education in Armenia is under the control of the Ministry of Education and Science in Armenia. Its web site is at http://www.edu.am but it is all in Armenian.

Armenia education system - Education in Armenia (schools)

(sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Armenia - but note that this is maybe 15 years out of date)

In the early 1990s, as it emerged from the Soviet Union, Armenia made substantial changes to the centralized and regimented Soviet system. Armenian became the dominant language of instruction, and many schools that had taught in Russian closed by the end of 1991. Russian was still widely taught, however, as a second language.

In the 1990-91 school year, the estimated 1,307 primary and secondary schools were attended by 608,800 students. Another seventy specialized secondary institutions had 45,900 students, and 68,400 students were enrolled in a total of ten postsecondary institutions that included universities. In addition, 35 % of eligible children attended preschools.

In the 1988-89 school year, 301 students per 10,000 population were in specialized secondary or higher education, a figure slightly lower than the Soviet average. In 1989 some 58 % of Armenians over age fifteen had completed their secondary education, and 14% had a higher education.

Higher education in Armenia

(this and the following subsections draw only loosely on the article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Armenia (which is very out of date) but also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Armenia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Universities_in_Armenia, http://www.university-directory.eu/Armenia/Armenia.html and independent research on the institutions)

Universities in Armenia

The main university in Armenia was for many years Yerevan State University. Now there are many more.

Universities in Armenia include:

1. American University of Armenia - http://www.aua.am (in English) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_University_of_Armenia
2. Arya International University - http://www.arya.am
3. Eurasia International University - http://eiu.am (English site, very colourful) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia_International_University
4. Fondation Université Française en Arménie - http://ufar.am (in French) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fondation_Universit%C3%A9_Fran%C3%A7aise_en_Arm%C3%A9nie
5. Russian-Armenian State University - http://www.rau.am/index.php?l=0&l1=1&l2=125 (part in English) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian-Armenian_State_University
6. State Engineering University of Armenia - http://www.seua.am/eng/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Engineering_University_of_Armenia
7. Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov - http://www.brusov.am/edefault.asp (English subsite) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan_State_Linguistic_University
8. Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi - http://www.ysmu.am (English site) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan_State_Medical_University
9. Yerevan State University - http://www.ysu.am/site/index.php?lang=1&page=0 (English subsite) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan_State_University
10. Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction - http://www.ysuac.am/indexen.html (English subsite) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan_State_University_of_Architecture_and_Construction
11. Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan - http://www.armspu.am/home/ln/en/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_State_Pedagogical_University

There are several other universities including those listed at http://www.university-directory.eu/Armenia/Armenia.html but their status is not clear.

Yerevan State University

Even as long ago as 1992, Armenia's largest institution of higher learning, Yerevan State University, had 18 departments, including ones for social sciences, sciences, and law. Its faculty numbered about 1,300 teachers and its student population about 10,000 students.

Eurasia International University (private)

Eurasia International University is a private higher education institution established in Yerevan in 1996. In 1997 EIU was fully accredited based on the decision made by the Ministry of Science and Education. Since then EIU was authorized to issue State Diplomas. Starting from September 2007, Eurasia International University has fully conformed to the requirements of Bologna Process.

Polytechnics in Armenia

1. Armenian State Institute of Economy

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process

The Republic of Armenia has confirmed its readiness to join the Bologna Declaration on May 19, 2005.

Case study - Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction

The following description is drawn from http://www.ysuac.am/data/eng/m04_01.html - note point 7 in particular:

1. For the purpose of implementing the Bologna Process, an Education Reform Department was established on March 30, 2006. By the decision of 25.12.2007 of the University’s Scientific Council and the decision of 26.12.2007 of the University Council, a section for evaluation and control over the quality of education within the Education Reform Department.
2. Curricula for 23 specialties taught in the University during the 2007-2008 academic year have been developed in compliance with the standards of the Bologna Process.
3. For each course, course modules fixed with relevant standardized credits have been established.
4. Standards have been developed for each of the course modules.
5. Starting from the admission of 2007, teaching process in the University is organized in accordance with the Bologna Process standards – using the credit system.
6. For graduate students, Newsletter 2007”(in Armenian) was published, which presents the standards and teaching schedules of education modules, the credits to be given, and the brief descriptions of the specialties.
7. Modern technologies have been introduced in the education system. # Seminars are being organized to present to the teachers and students issues on Bologna Process and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
8. The University’s "Engineer" monthly newspaper periodically addresses the introduction of the Bologna Process and objectives there.

Virtual Campuses in HE

(sourced from the ARMAZEG project deliverable "State of the art regarding E-learning and ICT for lifelong learning)

Lifelong learning and e-learning are not new attitudes in Armenia. The Law of the Republic of Armenia on “Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education” was adopted in 2004. This law regulates the system of higher and postgraduate professional education in the Republic of Armenia making certain reflections on lifelong education, as well as on the growth of the level of professional qualification of the specialists and their training. In 2008, within the framework of the State Program of the Republic of Armenia on the development of education in 2008-2015, the Ministry of Education and Science of the RA initiated the work on amendments to the “Concept Paper on Lifelong Learning” and on a new law on “Adult Education” or to the existing laws, which are, at present, in the development and implementation phases. Under the conditions of absence of the Law on Adult Education in the Republic of Armenia, at present, a certain system of state regulation of that field is also missing. However, a number of Ministries (RA Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministries of Justice, Health Care, Culture etc.) and agencies (RA Police, Custom’s, Tax and other services) organize training and quality raising courses for the specialists, working in their respective fields as well as for the unemployed and job seekers organized by the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. As a centralized system of governance in the field of adult education and learning is missing, the adult education and learning in the Republic of Armenia is decentralized. It is organized and implemented by the state as well as private organizations and NGOs, like Lifelong Learning League, which is an umbrella for 12 non-governmental organizations experienced in education and training in Armenia. The overarching goal of the League is to support the formation of lifelong learning culture in the country by means of developing a coherent LLL system focused on employability/adaptability, personal fulfillment, active citizenship and social inclusion.

There is also the Lifelong Learning Association which is implementing the main activities in the sphere of LLL. In the field of Adult Education and Learning Armenia cooperates with a number of international organizations (dvv international, GIZ, World Bank, USAID, UNDP, OSI AF Armenia, Eurasia Foundation, EC, British Council) and with a number of countries (Germany, Norway, Denmark, USA, Netherlands). (http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/INSTITUTES/UIL/confintea/pdf/National_Reports/Eur ope%20‐%20North%20America/Armenia.pdf) A huge input regarding e-learning comes from GIZ (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development). Since 2008 the purposed training of trainers were implemented for most Armenian educational organizations within the project of "Capacity Building and Human Resource Development in Caucasus" on behalf of InWent, and then GIZ.

Though many Armenian public and private organizations have their own strategy and approaches to the implementation of e-learning, there was no formulated network or coordinating organization yet. As a result of the cooperation within the mentioned project the mission of e-learning was formed, potential partner institutions were defined and pilot projects were implemented in 2008-2009. And finally, in 2010 the Armenian E-learning Network (ArmeLNet]) and E-learning centre was founded. Eight organizations signed the official memorandums and became the full members of ArmeLNet:

- National Centre of Educational Technologies.

- Academy of International Education.

- “IATC" Educational Fund.

- Yerevan State Linguistic University.

- Yerevan State College of Humanities.

- Yerevan State College of Informatics.

- State Employment Service Agency of RA.

- State Engineering University of Armenia.

In 2011 the Armenian E-learning Network also became a full member of the Caucasus E-learning Network together with Georgia and Azerbaijan. The annual training of trainers regarding e-learning has been implemented for the Higher and Vocational educational institutions of Armenia, and about 15 new organizations joined the ArmeLNet. The mission of ArmeLNet became the promotion of e-learning to the Armenian Educational landscape, and the goals are to support member organizations in the development and deployment of e-learning activities and implement quality assurance of e-learning courses and modules produced by its members by providing an effective assessment tool (Caucasus e-Learning Quality Assessment). As a result of the cooperation between ArmeLNet and these trained organizations there was an exchange of experts, content, e-courses, trainings, resources, design of new educational programs and e-courses, monitoring of e-learning implementation and development process in educational organizations

Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives

The TEMPUS project ARMAZEG - Developing tools for lifelong learning in Transcaucasus region: e-Learning aims to stimulate educational reform in Armenian and Georgian partner universities by establishing e-Learning centres and training involved staff members – with special attention to lifelong learning methodologies. The project runs from 1 December 2013 until 30 November 2016. The project website is at: http://armazeg.com/

The above-mentioned ARMAZEG project deliverable State of the art regarding E-learning and ICT for lifelong learning includes several interesting projects and initiatives on e-learning and/or lifelong learning in Armenia.

The ARMAZEG Project Vision, Strategy and Goals Document on the other hand highlights a future in which higher education institutions in Armenia and Georgia will use technology to enhance education for students and lifelong learners.

The following appears to be a Virtual School but comes up in lists of universities.

QSI International School of Yerevan (sourced from http://www.qsi.org/arm_home/arm_home.htm)

QSI International School of Yerevan, a private, non-profit institution that opened in September 1995, offers high quality education in the English language for elementary students from three years through 13 years of age (fourteen through seventeen year old classes are a mix of teacher-taught electives and distance learning core courses). The school facility is located in a green area, and occupies 10 large, bright classrooms. There are rooms used for library, computers, offices, music, foreign languages, and multi-purpose. A large playground area and outdoor stage are also available. The entire complex is safely enlosed.

Interesting Programmes

Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov

At http://www.brusov.am/centres.asp the Computer Centre lists it aims. These include:

• study and utilization of information technologies in foreign languages teaching,
• study and utilization of distance learning,
• advanced technology utilization in linguistic studies,
• devising and publishing teaching and methodological materials on information technologies,
• computer design and prototyping of materials presented by "Lingua" Publishing House,
• studies of international experience of advanced technology utilization in linguistic studies

All of this points to at least an active interest in e-learning and distance learning.

Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University

The page http://www.rau.am/index.php?l=0&l1=1&l2=129 notes distance learning activity in three places:

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Among others RAU has concluded an agreement with the Electronic International Business School of Ireland, concerning organization of specialized distance learning courses through RAU. Consensus has been reached with International Institute of Vienna regarding creation on the basis of RAU of “Yerevan” international university, which will in its turn ensure education under MBA programs, as well as will include schools of Diplomacy and Linguistics

The chair of Economics and Finance of RAU, together with the Faculty of Economics of MSU, Academy of National Economy at RF Government and Finance Academy at RF Government, is currently planning development and input in RAU of short- and long-term educational programs, including those using distance learning.

RAU also has agreements on joint activities in the sphere of distance learning with the Russian Academy of State Service adjustment to the President of RF, Institute of Distance Learning of Russian University of Friendship of Nations.

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Arya International University

This notes at http://www.arya.am/?action%5Bpage%5D=introduction&lang=en that:

The teaching languages in AIU are English, Russian, Persian, and Armenian. The students are offered one term of intensive English, and/or Russian in order to acquire the needed level of proficiency. The students can attend summer courses in Armenian, English, and Russian languages. The teaching system is flexible and includes a wide range of technologies-from full-time tuition to distance education.

Re.ViCa Case-study

None.

Lessons learnt

There appears to be much bubbling under the surface but it has not risen yet to "Notable" status.

References

1. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia
2. for others see the previous text

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