“Wearing many hats at once: Defense Minister Serge Sargisian is elected as Council Chairman of State University”

RA Defense Minister Serge Sargisian has been elected to chair Yerevan State University’s “Graduates Council.” He was elected to this position this past week. According to a Noyan Tapan news story, the fact that he was elected to this position was expected. [To read the entire news story, refer to the following link: http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg136008.html ] “I was already aware early today that my candidature must be nominated,” said Sarkisian in his interview with journalists. Also according to this particular article:

“Sargisian confesses that he isn’t aware of activity of the University Council, and, naturally, couldn’t have a program. ‘In my opinion, this work must be such one that it doesn’t give the Council Chairman possibility to become an official and to take the place of either Council or Rector. Thus, the possibility of diverication is excluded, I’m sure that the Council should be a body which will create the most favourable conditions for the Rector’s work,” S.Sargsian emphasized.”

Defense Minister Sarkisian must be quite a busy man at this point! Not only does he now wear one hat as the defense minister of the country, but he also wears another as the Council Chairman of Yerevan State University. I presume Defense Minister Sarkisian must have gained much experience from his current position as the head of the army, military and other defense services to now serve as the Council Chairman.

A government official who is the head of the defense and military forces in this country has now been elected as one of the leaders on the YSU Council and has much power and leverage in the decisions regarding university administration. According to an YSU graduate, from her understanding of the Council’s duties, these people make decisions regarding how to improve the daily lives of these students, their education and corruption within the university system.

“Defense Minister” and “Council Chairman” has got to be quite an interesting combination, to say the least. To what extent can a government official truly fight the corruption and improve the students’ daily lives and education at YSU? I highly doubt he will be very critical of the corrupt activities which occur at the University.

This news is quite depressing for those who are seeking reform and change within Armenia’s university system. One of the most critical proponents regarding a country’s democracy is the youth and their education, especially higher education. These young persons are supposed to be, as the cliché goes, “the leaders of the future.” What they are learning as students in Armenia’s universities now are that corrupt ways such as paying professors for a “5” (the highest grade one can get) on an exam is the way to succeed and become an outstanding student. Students are very well aware that succeeding in the university system has a lot to do with paying a professor. Zarchka at One World reported this situation in a post:

“Youth- While some students hope to pass the coming exams racking their brains over assignments, despondently ticking days off the calendar, swotting up spot questions, others will just offer a bribe and the deed will be done. Some guys hope that they will be promoted in their work, as they have worked hard during the year, but all that will go to the dogs, as other “Lav txeq” i.e. good guys, will just occupy their places as they are backed by “good dads.” The hope of these “good guys” is that dad will supply them with enough money to buy the latest model of cell phones, suits from Armani, and so on and so forth, so that they can dress up and rush through the city in their BMWs, thus attracting girls of the same type who parade down the street, trying too keep their balance on high heels. Yes, beauty demands sacrifices! Per chance a guy thinks that this will be the year when he’ll have enough audacity to confess to a gal that he has been in love with her for a long time and he’ll hope to get a positive answer to his love. Let it rip!! True love will withstand every difficulty!! And maybe a small part of youth will continue looking for means to change this world for the better…”

[ For the entire post, refer to the following link: http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/12/30/great-expectations/ ]

Perhaps a small portion of the youth in Armenia will continue to try to change this world Zarchka, one can only hope. As for now, those students who do continue to be successful as a result of these corrupt ways will continue to become the outstanding students and receive 5’s on their exams. Unfortunately, there will continue to be no reform and changes within the university practices as long as government officials continue to be elected as Council Chairman of the State University or other higher administration positions.

more on khatchkar destruction…

Could this all be exaggeration?  I do understand that Armenian media is not necessarily the most unbiased source of media to refer to regarding a report about Turkey or Azerbaijan.  On the other hand, which media source can be considered the most reliable?  Well, this is most certainly not the question I would like to take up in this post.  Yet I would like to mention this– anything I do read or encourage people to read should most certainly be taken “with a grain of salt.”  Do not hesitate to question the article or book and whatever is being stated.  That is what differentiates us as humans, we are given a brain to criticize and question.  So let’s do exactly that. 

Sorry for the tangent.  With that said though, one begins to wonder– so who do you trust and what article can be considered legitimate?  We refer to many different news sources in regards to a certain current event to get an understanding for yourself of what is actually going on. 

This is why I wanted to mention a fellow blogger’s post regarding khatchkar destruction.  Blogian writes a post  about the khatchkar destruction in Nakhichevan. 

“… and nobody but me dares to talk about it’ ”

“One million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares talk about it,” said Orhan Pamuk and these were the very words that got him in trouble with the Turkish government. He was charged with “denigration to the Turkish identity” and if convicted, would have faced 6 monthes – 3 years in jail for that one comment.

Pamuk’s first hearing was held on December 16 and received international attention from the media. The hearing was adjourned to a date which would be scheduled in February. However, just recently, the courts dropped the case. It is ever so interesting that when international media focuses its attention on one particular story, it places pressure on a government. Now that the charges against Pamuk have been dropped, he is free but he has released statements saying that international attention should continue to focus on others who are facing jail time because of a comment or action that is considered to be “denigrating to the Turkish identity.” What kind of violation is this anyway? How does Turkey expect to become a part of the European Union with such laws? This should be further evidence to the European Union that Turkey is a country which is not necessarily ready to enter the EU.