Political or non-political higher education institutions? Following speeches of Members of Parliament

On May 30 and 31, heated discussions took place at the National Assembly on the issues of apoliticizing Boards of Trustees of higher education institutions and electing an acting rector for Yerevan State University.

The Fip.am team has followed the tracks of hot speeches and has fact-checked the statements made during those speeches.

Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, MP from “My Step” faction

In his speech, this MP noted that no minister has become chairman or was included in any Board of Trustees in the post-revolutionary period.

Studying the lists of Boards of Trustees of all 13 public higher education institutions in Armenia, it becomes clear that in fact no minister is currently member of the Board of Trustees of any higher education institution.

Moreover, the chairpersons of the Boards of Trustees are non-partisan.

Higher education institution	Chairperson of Board of Trustees
Yerevan State University	Gevorg Muradyan
Yerevan State University of Economics	Vahan Movsisyan
Yerevan State Medical University	Vahan Artsruni
National Polytechnic University of Armenia	Hovik Musayelyan
Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan	Davit Gurjinyan
Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences	Tigran Hakobyan
Armenian National Agrarian University	Armen Harutyunyan
National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia	Vlad Asatryan
Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport	Arsen Julfakyan
Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography	Karine Khodikyan
Shirak State University after M. Nalbandyan	Levon Barseghyan
Vanadzor State University after H. Tumanyan	Diana Ter-Stepanyan
Gavar State University Goris State University	Varazdat Karapetyan –

In response to the remark of Edmon Marukyan (head of the “Bright Armenia” faction) according to which Head of Staff of the National Assembly Tigran Galstyan is also member of Board of Trustees of National Agrarian University, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan noted that NA Chief of Staff did not occupy this post when he was offered to become a member of the board.

Indeed, Tigran Galstyan was appointed Chief of Staff of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in January 2019, while the first session of the Board of Trustees took place on 31 July 2018. Then Tigran Galstyan was head of staff of IMEX GROUP company.

As for MP Sargis Khandanyan, who is also member of the Board of Trustees of the Agrarian University, his biography shows that on 1 June 2018, when he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the RA Prime Minister, he was still non-partisan. Meanwhile, the national list of “My Step” Alliance for snap parliamentary elections shows that at that time Sargis Khandanyan was already member of Civil Contract Party.

Edmon Marukyan, Head of “Bright Armenia” Faction

Referring to YSU Rector’s election, Edmon Marukyan said that the government had stated that the person who closed the door of the university should not be a rector.

The video recording of those events proves that Gegham Gevorgyan who has been elected Acting Rector of YSU (then he was vice-rector) was there during those events. According to the latter, he was doing his job.

Boards of Trustees of universities

Yerevan State University

Armenian National Agrarian University

Armenian State University of Economics

National Polytechnic University of Armenia

Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi

Armenian State Pedagogical University

Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography

Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences

National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia

Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport

Shirak State University