General information about the higher education system in the country
In total 53 HEIs operate in Armenia comprising of 23 public, 30 private and 14 transnationals institutions (six are founded and operated by interstate and intergovernmental agreements and state participation, three are branches of foreign private universities). The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS) is the main authorized body for most of them. On a national level the HE system in Armenia is regulated by two legal instruments: the Law on Education (1999) and the Law on Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education (2004). The latter sets forth the structure, main principles of organization, funding mechanisms, and bases for systematic reform and improvement of higher education. The laws are supported by a range of by-laws that cover areas such as degree system, QA, NQF, academic credits and their transfer, student mobility, social dimension, etc. Armenia ratified of the Lisbon Convention on Qualifications Recognition in 2004 and joined the Bologna Process in 2005. A new “Law on Higher Education and Science” has been delivered as a draft for academic and public discussion in September 2024. The key aspects of the draft refer to the new quality control standards, namely licensing and accreditation, which will be established. The vertical model of university management will be replaced by a horizontal one, where in practice there will be several independent links of management and regulation. A separate article of the law will define the regulatory framework for the Academic City.
Regarding the scientific organizations and the National Academy of Sciences, the proposed new regulations specify that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will be transformed into a foundation governed by the principle of autonomy.
Being aligned with the Bologna Process, Armenian HE system (higher tertiary education) has three cycles: bachelor’s degree - four years (240 ECTS), master’s degree – up to two years (up to 120 ECTS), and aspirantura (doctoral education which leads to awarding the degree of Candidate of Science) – 180 ECTS. The doctoral programmes depending on their mode (full time or part-time) and their type (aspirantura or a research programme) last from three to five years.
The MESCS is responsible for developing and implementing state policy/strategy and for the observance and improvement of the legislation in higher education. It is also provides funding and oversight, and performs auditing function. The MESCS defines state educational standards, issues licenses and state credentials; draws up the list of the specialties; develops the state-commissioned order for schools, colleges and universities; approves the admission rules for state and private higher education institutions, as well as supervises their implementation. Recently formed Higher Education and Science Committee of the MESCS
(2023) ensures the implementation of the state policy aimed at the cooperation and integration of the fields of science and higher education.
In 2022-2023 academic year, Armenian universities had 72058 bachelor, 8037 master and 745 PhD enrolled students. The total number 7413 of international students (7064 bachelor and 349 on master levels) was recorded.
Information on recent policy updates, major reforms and related news
In March 2023, the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia adopted the “Education development strategy 2030”. The main aim of the strategy is to reform education in Armenia at all levels ranging from pre-school to postgraduate education. Moreover, the strategy includes activities aimed at reforms for non-formal education. In terms of higher education, the major goal is to ensure that each graduate attains internationally recognised professional qualification, facilitating quick employment or launch of their own business. The final outcomes of the strategy are as follows: (a) inclusion of at least four universities in the top 500 of international rankings; (b) job attainment for 90% of graduates immediately upon graduation; (c) doubling the number of international students in Armenia.
Several priorities for higher education are underlined in the strategy: digitalisation, internationalisation, inclusion and education toward green transition, governance in higher education and science. To reach these goals a set of activities are envisaged by the strategy. The first set of activities is planned to support the creation of an inclusive, learner-centred academic environment, the improvement of the quality and accessibility of academic programmes and the continuous training of the academic staff. One of the most ambitious goals of the strategy, as revised in October 2023, is to enhance the efficiency of higher education by maintaining only up to eight state and eight private/international universities by 2030 with relevant infrastructure, dormitories and laboratories. This includes creation of an academic city, and relevant infrastructure reforms. Another goal set by the strategy is internationalisation of higher education. To achieve this, the strategy singles out improvement of legislation to ensure accessibility of education to international students, increasing the number of mobilities, development of joint academic programmes, etc. Another recent update is establishment of Higher Education and Science Committee (HESC) of the MESCS in 2023 that includes the functions of the former Science Committee and the Supreme Certifying Committee of the MESCS, as well as the Department of Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education of the MESCS. Its prior objective is to ensure the implementation of the state policy aimed at the cooperation and integration of the fields of science and higher education. HESC will be responsible, among other activities, for strategic planning and policy development in the fields of higher education and science, development of legal framework regulations, fostering academic freedom.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | Project name | Objectives | Length of project | Keywords | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SMARTI: Support for innovative methodology, approaches and tools for teaching through the medium of english in order to improve educational field, sustainability and internationalization
| The Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia is a consortium member of the SMARTI Project within Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education Program. The project’s objectives are to:
| 2021-2024 | Internationalisation; English Medium Instruction; teaching and learning methods
| |
2 | AFISHE: Development of aquaculture and fisheries education for green deal in Armenia and Ukraine: from education to ecology
| The overall goal of this project is to decrease the negative impact of aquaculture and fishery industry on the environment in Armenia and Ukraine through the designing and development of Master’s degree programmes in aquaculture and fisheries, that is benchmarked to high-quality similar programmes in Europe and responsive to national and regional needs, and strengthening the university-enterprise-research cooperation (concept “from education to ecology”). | 2022-2025
| Master degree programs in aquaculture and Fisheries; university-enterprises cooperation
| |
3 | T- GREEN: Transforming graduate education for green and sustainable future
| The T-GREEN project addresses the need of reforming graduate education in Armenian in support of the Green Deal and enabling the shift from traditional to future- oriented, green, and interdisciplinary curricula, as well as by promoting student mobility and designing collaborative degree implementation schemes.
| 2023- 2026
| Green Deal; green and interdisciplinary curricula
| |
4 | MEDIA: Strengthening the quality of online education in HEIs in Moldova and Armenia ............... | MEDIA aims at supporting structural reforms in Armenia and Moldova (R2) by proposing solutions to the problems of HE national systems levels, institutional and individual levels in these countries. The project pursues an integrative approach to different levels by proposing activities aiming at the formation and further refinement of relevant frames geared at improving the quality of online education in R2 and the creation of normative framework that will stipulate conditions for the development of high-quality online synchronous and asynchronous education, build capacities on the learning analytics (LA) in online teaching-learning and deployment of the multidisciplinary non-formal educational programme on digital media (DM). | 2023-2027
| online education; digital media
| |
5 | COMPIIT: Competences for international innovation projects | The goal of the CompIIT project is to prepare Armenian students for the international, digitalised and projectised working environment by developing their project competence, their international communication competence and their entrepreneurial mindset. | 2023-2025
| digital literacy; collaboration tools; ICT; project management | |
6 | DEvision: Digitally connecting real and virtual environments | The DEvision initiative aims at the integration of geospatial online and blended learning modules into bachelor and master level curricula of multiple disciplines at partner institutions. The initiative implements the Digital Earth vision and digital transformation concepts impacting societies, economies and environments. | 2022-2025
| Digital technologies | |
| 7 | SOAA: Strengthening organic agriculture in armenia: participatory higher education and knowledge exchange for development
| The Armenian organic agriculture sector is growing due to governmental support and international interest. To meet the need for skilled professionals, the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) developed an Organic Agriculture Master Program (OAMP). The Strengthening Organic Agriculture in Armenia (SOAA) project aims to advance this initiative by enhancing the skills and quality of the OAMP, by amplifying the program's successes at an institutional level within ANAU and by contributing to capacity building and outreach in the Armenian organic sector. | 2022-2025
| Organice agriculture | |
8 | EcoServ: Ecosystem services assessment through a participatory approach for sustainable water resources management in Armenia
| The EcoServ project aims to (1) develop the capacities of Yerevan State University (YSU) and the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology (SCZHE) of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia for the assessment of the Ecosystem Services (ES); (2) develop an ES management module for BA and MS degree students at the department of Management and Business of YSU (3) develop an ES service framework for Armenian wetlands that will be provided to local communities, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia. | 2023-2027
| Water resource management | |
| 9 | eCAMPUS: Fostering Socially Distanced and Inclusive on-Campus Education in Armenian HEIs | 2025-2028 | Internal QA | www.ecampus.am | |
| 10 | PROVE: Promoting Values Education in South Caucasus Higher Education Institutions | 2025-2027 | Peace Education courses; Values and Knowledge Education (VaKE) | www.prove.ge | |
| 11 | KPI4HE: Establishment of National framework of Key Performance Indicators for good governance and quality towards inclusive, digital and green oriented higher education in Armenia | KPI4HE project aims at improving higher education system governance, university strategic planning and management contributing to quality and inclusive, KPI4HE project aims at improving higher education system governance, university strategic planning and management contributing to quality and inclusive, digital and green oriented higher education in Armenia through development and implementation of Nationa framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for higher education (NF-KPI), coperationalization of Institutional Research and Planning Services (IRPS) and revision of State Institutional Accreditation Standards in line with NF-KPI. | 2024-2028 | higher education governance, university strategic planning, management and quality within the context of digitalization and green transition | https://www.ysu.am/en/news /53210 https://www.eiu.am /kpi4heproject/ |
| 12 | LISS24: Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed | Learn-Innovate-Sell-Succeed LISS24 project aims at increasing B2B Sales and innovation capacity of Armenian and Georgian universities, especially in the field of engineering in the new digital era. The methodology of the project is built on three core elements: main substance, pedagogical practices, and knowledge transfer. All these cornerstones are linked to serve the purposes of an effective and sustainable capacity building process. | 2024-2027 | Knowledge Triangle approach; B2B Sales courses | www.liss24.com |
| 13 | RE-GRAD: Reforming Undergraduate Education for GReen and Sustainable Development in Armenia and Moldova | RE-GRAD project aims to support the reform of undergraduate education in AM and MD enabling the shift from traditional to inclusive, digital and green-oriented curricula in support of sustainable development, by developing student’s employability in the field of green business, providing them with the right skills to accompany the green and digital transitions in jobs and beyond. | 2024-2027 | Knowledge Triangle approach; B2B Sales courses integration of Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into higher education policy and curricula | https://erasmusplus.am /course/reformingundergraduate- education-forgreen- and-sustainabledevelopment- in-armenia-andmoldova- re-grad/ |
| 14 | Micro-GEAR: Microcredentials for Higher Education systems of Georgia and Armenia: South Caucasus lighthouse project | Micro-GEAR is supporting structural reforms in the higher education sector of the South Caucasus region, primarily focusing on Georgia and Armenia, with the aim of introducing and facilitating the broad proliferation of microcredentials as a tool for improving relevance, quality and flexibility of higher education. In line with the European Council’s Recommendation on a European approach to microcredentials for lifelong learning and employability, the project will update the National Qualifications Frameworks in both countries, build national consensus over principles of micro-credentialing, stimulate educational activities leading to micro-credentials and facilitate their mutual recognition. | 2023-2026 | development of educational units leading to microcredentials | https://microgear.org/home /en/ |
Relevant links
- National Erasmus+ Office Armenia
- The "Education development strategy 2030"
- National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA)
- National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility (ArmENIC)
- A social survey titled "Is higher education mandatory to have?"
- Higher education. Key problems and perspectives, 2017
- European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Agency Review. National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA), 2022, (in English)
- The impact of COVID-19 on the educational process in RA professional educational institutions of Armenia, 2020
- Education and culture, MoESCS, 2022
- Manual for the Introduction of Key Performance Indicators and Performance-Based Agreements in Armenian Higher Education (in English), 2019