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Looking Ahead to the Annual Assembly of NAS RA
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This kind of title, which takes us back to the years of depression, is actually the best to define the nature of the processes occurring in the field of science in our independent country. There may be no doubt upon the storms of applause serving as pauses between the speeches on “achievements”, which are soon to be delivered at the annual assemblies of the NAS RA. The assembly will express satisfaction towards the activities of the Presidium. The reporting period really deserves attention, and its superficial analysis may even be beneficial for the persons who are in charge of the created situation, since science is ultimately a part of the economy of the republic.

The first half of 2006 was a significant period in the field of science of our republic, particularly for the wave of criticism regarding the weaknesses of the NAS system. They resulted in the replacement of the NAS leaders. That wave of criticism once again indicated the necessity of reforms in the field of science. On the instructions of the RA president an Interdepartmental Commission was created for the purpose of those reforms. As a result of both events, the criticism calmed down only temporarily. The Presidium of NAS RA commenced so-called “reforms”, which would be qualified as “crowning achievements” at the annual reporting assembly. The “achievements”, which will undoubtedly be appreciated at their true value by most of the participants, are as follows:


  • a.conceptual provisions on reforms in the field of science developed by the Interdepartmental Commission;
  • b.the phenomenon called an "election" of the directors of several institutes of NAS RA;
  • c.the phenomenon called an "election" of the correspondent members of NAS RA;
  • d.the phenomenon of optimizing the organizations included in the system of NAS RA.

Let us try to analyze the result of this set of "achievements" contrived by the new Presidium of NAS RA, which is aimed to keep its present status and illegal privileges resulting from it.

a.Conceptual provisions on reforms in the field of science developed by the Interdepartmental Commission. The purpose of the Interdepartmental Commission created in summer of 2006 was the development of a project designated for making radical reforms in the field of science. The project named "Conceptual Provisions on Reforms in the Field of Science" has been repeatedly spoken and written about. In order to become a document promoting the development of science, the project needs a serious review, as it has been created by the representatives of the Presidium of NAS RA and the Higher Certification Commission instead of independent specialists. Anyway, the project contains dangerous provisions regarding the existence of both institutions possessing group interest.

One of the major provisions of the project created by the Interdepartmental Commission is the development of an integrated system for state administration of science. This is the most essential point since that system is the one to finalize the whole set of reforms.

The second positive provision is establishing independent scientific review system and insuring its effective operation, which will definitely be based on the objective merits of scientific achievements. The negative attitude of the NAS Presidium and the Higher Certification Commission towards both provisions is obvious because their realization will cease the voluntarism, realized under the veil of collective irresponsibility, as well as the corruption present in the field of science.

According to reliable information, the Presidium of NAS RA has refused to become an integrated system, i.e. it preferred the collective irresponsibility realized through "close and confidential elections", the results of which are known to the scientific environment long before the so-called "election".

Anyhow, the conceptual provisions on reforms in the field of science developed by the Interdepartmental Commission and repeatedly discussed among the scientific community, have not been approved by the RA Government up to this date. If this fact is not an "achievement" of the Presidium of NAS RA, it is at least an essential "success".

Briefly about those "reforms" or "achievements".

b.The phenomenon called an "election" of the directors of several institutes of NAS RA. After the replacement of the leaders of NAS RA, the first step of so-called "reforms" was the "election" of the directors of 19 institutes within the system of NAS RA, which is often referred to as "change of generation". It is very difficult to find a more appropriate characteristic for that "change of generation" than "cheating", since the condition of this "change of generation" was: "suggest and we (the Presidium of NAS RA) will approve, after which you will gain a status of an advisor with the same salary". I think even without sharp intellect one may comprehend why many candidates deserving that position were not eager to participate in the competition aimed to fill the vacancies.

Leaving aside the additional financial difficulties caused by these extremely transparent "by-law elections", let us consider the results of that clownery. At best we’ll have only pocket directors who have been either elected by the principle of heredity or inherited to the institutes. An obvious fact of personal interests is that depending on the degree of subordination the directors "have been elected" for different periods of time with a trial period of subjection. It has been repeatedly mentioned in mass media as well but produced no results.

Going ahead I feel it necessary to mention that a scientific institution which proclaims itself a defender of Armenology should at least observe the laws of the only hearth of Armenology, i.e. the laws of the Republic of Armenia. Particularly, it should follow the requirements of the Governmental Decision #224 of 2005, which concerns the knowledge of literary Armenian of the directors of governmental organizations, at least checking them with 10-line dictations.

During these elections NAS RA was loyal to hereditary and family relations, to illiteracy and subjection.

c.The phenomenon called an "election" of the correspondent members of NAS RA. Though the previous fact may somehow be acceptable, being considered an academic strategy, the "election" of the correspondent members has a scientific tint and in case of maintenance of the present situation it means sparing the scanty funds of the state budget at the expense of the future. It is an inheritance for the future generations, which contains "scientists having serious investments in the international scientific system", many of which, as concluded even from TV speeches, are not known to the international scientific community at all.

A huge army of scientists, who are much more preferable according to the international standards, did not participate in these "fair academical" elections either. During those "elections" the Presidium of NAS RA demonstrated great bravery to fill the scientific community with younger scientists. It was such a courageous act to announce the age for the "young" correspondent members to be 51 and not 50 plus 8-9 months, which was necessary to make the president of the Higher Certification Commission, Mr. Trchunyan, a correspondent member of NAS RA. As a result, those who appeared in the list of the correspondent members really deserved that position only from the point of view of the Presidium of NAS RA, though by a lucky coincidence there are very few deserving persons there as well.

Therefore, the system of NAS RA is busy with its own reproduction, which causes and has already caused the development of clans and the creation of a "family" with serious internal regulations. Those who expected objectivity fondly believed that if the republic wished to make radical reforms in the field of science, the elections would be fair and based on scientific and organizational achievements.

d.The phenomenon of optimization of the organizations included in the system of NAS RA. There are a lot of scientific organizations in the republic, which have nearly the same research activities and the same conditions for their realization. A creation of big scientific centers is necessary. However, it is obvious for everyone that this kind of activity requires a clearly developed strategy, based on the program of scientific reforms approved on the state level.

Here again the Presidium of NAS RA has taken the initiative to demonstrate abilities of a "reformer". The Presidium of NAS RA has started the process of optimization of the scientific organizations from those of the natural science department. The reason may be either its fullness of the most qualified scientific and organizational personnel or its intractability and the ability to ensure the aureole of the Presidium as a "reformer". Nonetheless, the optimization has begun, and its style is undoubtedly highly "academical". At page 145 of "The Main Results of the scientific and research activity of NAS RA, 2006: Report" one may read that "the Presidium has approved the suggestions made by several NAS departments concerning the reorganization of several scientific organizations, and the Government of RA has introduced a corresponding decision plan".

On March 13, 2007 the mass meeting of the natural science department discussed the question concerning candidates for the directors of the following organizations: "Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA", "Center of Biotechnology and Deposition of Microbes" and "Scientific and Technological Center of Organic and Pharmacological Chemistry".

Afterwards, the meeting of the Presidium of NAS RA on March 21 showed that there were bright "academical" ideas concerning the election of the director of the newly created "Center of Biotechnology and Deposition of Microbes" as well, however, since the discussions of the "Scientific and Technological Center of Organic and Pharmacological Chemistry" and their later development are more typical, below we’ll discuss the "achievements" referring to only this center.

Let us return to the discussions during the mass meeting of the natural science department. The meeting disclosed the fact that neither the leaders of the department nor its members had clear idea of the scientific directions and the administrative structure of the new center. Moreover, the vast majority of the participants, including many academicians of the department, mentioned that liquidating the Institute of Fine Organic Chemistry of NAS RA, the Institute of Organic Chemistry of NAS RA and the Molecular Structure Research Center (MSRC) and violently unifying them into one organization is not justified and is dangerous. Neither the negative attitude of the staffs nor the opinion of the natural science department was taken into account (this question has not even been discussed in the department). Besides, a violation of the law is apparent in denominating the directors, which is far away from the "democratic" principles of NAS RA as well as from simple logic.

Under the impressions of the mass meeting, the Institute of Fine Organic Chemistry of NAS RA, the Institute of Organic Chemistry of NAS RA and the Molecular Structure Research Center (MSRC) organized a joint board meeting (March 16, 2007) and recalled their candidates for the director of the newly created "Scientific and Technological Center of Organic and Pharmacological Chemistry", which was realized during the meeting of the Presidium of NAS RA on March 21, 2007.

According to the decision made during the same joint meeting, the staffs applied to the President and Government of RA, confirming the poverty of the principles of creating the new center, as well as suggesting to return to this question after approving the "Conceptual Provisions on Reforms in the Field of Science".

Nevertheless, the Presidium of NAS RA attempts to finalize its initiative without waiting for the response.

Another "brilliant" example of optimization is the separation of the natural science department of NAS RA into two new sections. There may be only one logical conclusion here: probably, the Presidium of NAS RA does not correctly interpret the meaning of the word "optimization", taking into consideration personal ambitions of several persons.

Summarizing the four processes mentioned above, with which the Presidium of NAS RA goes ahead to convene its annual reporting assembly, we may insist that all four of them have failed if not collapsed.

The future steps of the Presidium of NAS RA are also going to collapse unless the Academy compromises its principles of the years of depression, well known to everyone, and prefers the interests of the development of science to the departmental interests.

The years of 2007 and 2008 propose more vital elections. I would not like those processes to resemble the "academical" policy of NAS RA.