Fine Art Academy’s Gyumri branch against Government’s reorganization plan

A government’s proposal for the reorganization of higher education institutions has spurred heated debates at the Gyumri university branches specializing in culture and arts.

Particularly, the president of the Yerevan State Fine Arts Academy’s Gyumri branch, Hambardzum Ghukasyan, has his objections to the plan. He says any reform would be acceptable and positive if targeted at progress and development.

“But the merger plan poses threats to the institutions’ characteristics and the faculty’s routine work,” Hambardzum Ghukasyan said told Tert.am. “Under the plan, universities of absolutely different profiles will merge, leading to a decline of specialization criteria.”

The branch, which has been functioning since 1997, has joined the EU and World Bank’s Tempus program. It is now in the middle of a higher education accreditation process. An initiator and founder of the Gyumri International Bi-annual Festival, it has launched a mobile museum of contemporary art in the second largest city. It offers professional training in graphics, painting art and sculpture, as well as in cloth modeling, art study and design, which are relatively new specializations. The students’ number has increased to 175 from the seven in 1997-1998. The faculty members’ number is 35.

The government justification behind the reorganization plan is that the culture and art universities of Gyumri annually have a lower number of entrants compared to the similar institutions in Yerevan.

But the Academy’s rector and faculty have their disagreements. They argue, in particular, that comparisons between the capital city are not right given the wide difference between the living standards and the population records.

“The Academy enjoys quite a high rating, an evidence of that being the republican-wide and international exhibitions and the broad connections we have with different countries – Austria, Syria, Lebanon, France and Transbaltic states Ghukasyan said.

Araksya Margaryan, who heads the Art Theory and History Department, says the proposal is not in line with another government proposal aimed at the proportional development of regions.

“Such a decision would contribute to the opposite process, with students seeking an advanced specialized training, preferring to receive education in Yerevan. This conflicts with the Proportional Regional Development Program adopted by the Government,” she said.

Zaven Koshtoyan, a sculptor who also teaches at the Academy, says the institution should develop its own image, training students on both arts and craft.

“Many implemented reforms had a negative outcome. The public debates will help avoid future mistakes and failures. A higher educational institution has to have an image of its own. It is important to create a culture university which, apart from fine arts, will also offer training it crafts – carpet-making, woodworking, metal procession – that will ensure jobs for the youth upon graduation,” he added.