Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received members of the “Gituzh” initiative at the Government.

The Prime Minister congratulated those present on World Science Day and noted that today’s meeting is a good opportunity to discuss the results of policies implemented in the science sector in recent years and the tasks to be done in the upcoming round. “We have repeatedly talked about the previous round, including our schedule for raising salaries in the science sector, which has been in progress for several years and was completed on January 1. Therefore, we need to understand what the experience of this process has shown us and what ideas we have about what we will do in the future,” Nikol Pashinyan noted.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan noted that in the previous period they worked closely with the “Gituzh” initiative, and these years have been landmark. The Law “On Higher Education and Science” was approved by the National Assembly and entered into force on October 20, which, according to the Minister, creates new institutional opportunities for the development of science. Zhanna Andreasyan noted that the Strategy for the Development of Science for the next 5 years is currently being presented for public discussion. “Here, too, the Ministry is open to discussions and listening to suggestions, since the presented strategy is still a draft and the suggestions will be useful,” the Minister said. She added that in cooperation with “Gituzh” the “Science Week” event is being held for the second time, aimed at popularizing science, including among children. Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized that a special toolkit and methodology have been developed, which is being implemented even in kindergartens. As part of "Science Week," more than 300 educational institutions, including schools and kindergartens, participated in scientific experiments and other events.

Tigran Shahverdyan, a member of the “Gituzh” initiative, thanked the Prime Minister for the meeting and noted that the initiative unites 202 technology companies and 24 business associations. The goal is to contribute to the development of the science and technology sector by working with the Government. According to Tigran Shahverdyan, as a result of the increase in funding for the academic science sector in recent years, it has been possible to stop the near-elimination of the sector.

During the meeting, the issues and solutions of the state policy of targeted scientific research and technological developments were discussed. Reference was made to the implementation of research aimed at developing scientific capabilities in the economy, food security, the state administration system, financing the science sector, and other issues.

The Prime Minister suggested that the members of the “Gituzh” initiative continue their work in the above-mentioned areas in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and the Science Committee and submit relevant proposals. At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Government is ready to provide separate funding from the funds provided for by the state budget to scientific programs that have matured and are ready to enter the practical stage.