Protests in Armenia's main university

More than 200 Yerevan State University employees are staging protests against the Armenian government's decision to finance scientific projects through a tendering process.

About 450 researchers may lose their jobs due to the Armenian Cabinet's decision.

Earlier, the Yerevan State University Scientific Council has addressed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with an appeal to review the government's decision, TASS recalls.

The writer, journalist, Vesti FM radio station host Armen Gasparyan, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that as a result of the 'velvet revolution', public protest has become the driving force of Armenian politics to some extent. "I suspect that for many people the events of last spring are still if not the fundamental model for social and political activities, then at least one of the possible ones," he said.

"If Pashinyan is a consistent person, he should listen to the protesters at the university and try to resolve difficult issues. I would like there was a serious dialogue between the society and the authorities in Armenia," Armen Gasparyan stressed.

Speaking about the problems of education in Armenia, in the first place the expert named the task of keeping young people in the republic after their graduation. "The government needs to decide how to ensure that young graduates continue to work on the territory of the republic. There are also a number of issues regarding the modernization of educational programs. But these are common problems for the CIS and many Western countries," he concluded.