ArmInfo.The Armenian government acts as an adversary, not as a partner in the process of promoting science. This was announced on November 6 at the parliamentary hearings by the coordinator of the movement "Demanding increased funding for science", doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Arthur Ishkhanyan.
According to him, in Armenia science is in a coma - almost to the point of death. So, during the years of Independence of Armenia, financing of this sector was traditionally low, which led to an outflow of personnel. Ishkhanyan noted that requirements to increase funding are annually voiced, and the National Academy of Sciences and the State Committee for Science have repeatedly voiced relevant proposals.
<Meanwhile, the situation remains unchanged. It seems that behind these "barricades" lies "something", namely, in my opinion, the Government itself, which does not give a course to these processes. In this case, we are talking about all the governments of Armenia>, Ishkhanyan stated.
<The government that needs to explain the value of science is worth nothing. Unfortunately, the current Government also acts as an adversary, not a partner,> he added.
Ishkhanyan recalled that in 2017 the budget of the field of science was reduced by 7%. In this regard, he called on the Government to fully compensate for this amount, taking into account the past years.
The expert also demanded an increase in funding for scientific programs at the expense of the Government Reserve Fund. According to Ishkhanyan, targeted funding for the repair or technical re-equipment of the Research Institute could be collected by including the corresponding item in large telethon. The establishment by the speaker and the prime minister of the corresponding state prizes for the recorded achievements could also contribute to the development of the scientific sector.
Ishkhanyan also called for financing the program to promote projects of young scientists not from the budget of the State Committee for Science, but from other sources. He recalled that such a mechanism was originally planned, from the moment the program was introduced, but over time, this funding scheme was changed.