Oppositionist: Regional Universities in Armenia at Risk of Closure

ArmInfo. Almost all regional universities in Armenia will be closed. Opposition MP and representative of the Strong Armenia party, Edgar Ghazaryan, announced this in a video address from the Academic City on September 1.

Specifically, he reported that starting September 1 of this year, students from 229 general education schools in Armenia will not be able to attend them, as they will be closed. The MP also spoke about a government-developed plan to close universities with fewer than 4,000 students. According to Ghazaryan, this applies to almost all regional universities or regional branches, with the exception of the Shirak region. "Furthermore, the future of the National Academy of Sciences is at risk, and all this is being done so that an Academic City can be built in our country," the parliamentarian said.

He then captured the surrounding area on camera, where nothing has been built and nothing exists except for piles of stones and bags, making sarcastic comments about the progress of the work.

The deputy also emphasized that the government, which is incapable of renovating a standard school bathroom, is promising to build an Academic City.

The Prime Minister is forced to personally inspect the condition of the toilets and identify problems. "But this doesn't stop us from implementing this wonderful project called the Academic City," Ghazaryan said.

As a reminder, in November 2025, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan announced that construction work on the city would begin in 2026. As a reminder, the city's master plan was developed by the German company gmp International GmbH Architects and Engineers. It will be built on land adjacent to Yerevan's 17th district. On January 4, 2024, the Armenian government adopted a draft resolution "On recognizing the priority public interest in certain areas located within the administrative boundaries of the city of Yerevan and the Sasunik settlement of the Ashtarak community of the Aragatsotn region" for the construction of the Academic City. The territory of Yerevan's 17th district, within the boundaries of which are located land plots owned by the state and the community, as well as land plots belonging to individuals and legal entities, as well as the territory occupied by the Amo Beknazaryan Hayfilm film studio, will be transferred to the Academic City Foundation. The Academic City Foundation was established on April 21, 2023. On October 19, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the concept of the Academic City program. Zhanna Andresyan, presenting the project, stated that, according to the state development program of Armenia until 2030, it is planned to create an Academic City as a modern environment for quality education and research. Andreasyan reported that Akademgorodok will house up to 16 universities—up to eight state-owned and up to eight private or international higher education institutions. Construction of the Academic City will cost 1.2 trillion drams.