OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2011. A sitting of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) was held. The Speaker of RA National Assembly, the member of ASUE Hovik Abrahamyan participated in the sitting. RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said that the first agenda issue of the sitting was the election of the ASUE Council President, and he addressed the members to introduce the candidates.

The member of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics, Pro-rector Vardan Sargsyan proposed candidacy for the President of the Council RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan.

Mr Abrahamyan thanked those present for the trust, noting that it was very obliging to be president of the Council of one of the most influential higher educational institutions and being proposed in that post for the second time. Congratulating everybody on the New Year and Christmas he expressed conviction that the year 2011 would be a year of progress, restoration of tolerance and mutual trust, building well-to-do Armenia. Hovik Abrahamyan noted that together with professors’ staff, members of the Council and students, he as NA Speaker and Chairman of the RPA Political Committee would do his best to more raise the rating of the higher educational institution of having 80-year history and to reach all the corruption phenomena to minimum and be it eliminated.

The Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said that by RA legislation the election of the President of the Council of the higher educational institution could be carried out either by open voting or by secret ballot. By the proposal of the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan it was decided to carry out the election of the ASUE Council President by secret ballot.

26 members of the ASUE Council, who took part in the secret ballot, unanimously elected RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan President of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics.

In his speech Hovik Abrahamyan thanked the members of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics for displayed trust and joint work. Stressing with pride that he had been a graduate of this higher educational institution Mr Abrahamyan noted with satisfaction the circumstance that an opportunity was given for second time to work in an atmosphere dear to him, and the relation with it had begun still years ago, when he was studying in this higher educational institution. In the NA Speaker’s opinion, during these years considerable work had been done together in this higher educational institution in the aspect of educational, upbringing and organizational aspects. The Council displayed itself as active functioning body being in general concerned with the problems of education. Hovik Abrahamyan is sure that from now on the Council will continue its efficient activity. “I am sure that together we are able to take steps, which will give opportunity to keep high the 80-year old Armenian State University of Economics and strengthen its place in the educational field. I am ready myself to do my best for the progress of one of the best higher educational institutions of the country,” the NA Speaker noted. According to him, the time and the events show that the value of the knowledge and the demand of the high qualified specialists more increase day by day in the world, which means that the demands being presented to the education also increase. Mr Abrahamyan is sure that in the Armenian State University of Economics there is distinct perception of all this, fundamental awareness of the time demands, and he has been informed from the report of the implemented works, realistic and tangible steps are taken to provide high result and qualified knowledge.

Later the sitting of the Council continued presided over by the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan. The agenda issues regarding the results of the educational-scientific, research and financial-economic activities and the main indices of the 2011 draft budget were discussed, which presented the ASUE Rector, academician of RA National Academy of Sciences Yuri Suvaryan. It was noted that intensive educational reforms are carried out in the higher educational institution, educational new technologies are expanded, and interactive auditoriums have been created in all faculties and some elements of creating remote educational system are invested. The Rector ensured that everything was done in the fighting against corruption in the ASUE. In his word, the internationalization of the education is also one of the strategic problems of the higher educational institution: the ASUE cooperates with 11 higher educational institutions of different countries. Mr Suvaryan noted that from 2011 twenty best students of the ASUE would receive 20000 drams fellowship from the NA Speaker’s fund.