“We should make education the trump card of our country. Throughout centuries, the Armenian people survived thanks to the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian School.
Only an educated person is considered to be competitive in the 21st century,; illiterate and semiliterate people are no longer in demand,” Vice-speaker of Armenian Parliament, Eduard Sharmazanov, announced at Armenian State Pedagogical University on October 16. The parliament official today attended the opening of a new electronic reading hall at the Faculty of History and Jurisprudence. The new hall is equipped with technical and lighting facilities.
Mr Sharmazanov said the opening of the new reading hall at the University shows that the Pedagogical University is one of the competitive educational institutions in the 21st century, a smithery of qualified personnel that keeps abreast with the times.
The ASPU graduate confessed that it was in the university premises that he took his graduation exams many years ago. He promised to call on the University at the weekend and make use of its rich reading room which will be open over the weekend.
Eduard Sharmazanov emphasized the role of education and urged students to seize the opportunity and make use of the services offered at the reading room.
Mr Rouben Mirzakhanyan, Rector of Armenian State Pedagogical University, Doctor of Historical Sciences, was glad to say that it was the third electronic reading room to be opened at the University in the past two years. Another reading room [for Biology] is scheduled to be opened by the year-end.
The Rector said the opening of the new reading room was a vital event. As he said in the reading room equipped with modern techniques students will be able to get acquainted with the ideas and thoughts of the great people; it will become an important part of the learning process and contribute to the improvement of education quality.
“The image of every university is determined by its lecturers and alumni. We are proud of our prominent graduates who have had a major contribution to the development of the country's political life, history and culture,” said Mr Mirzakhanyan.
The reading hall has over 8000 books on Jurisprudence, Pedagogy, History of Armenia, Philosophy, World History and Literature. It can serve up to 37 readers at a time /twelve – with the help of computers/.
It is due to mention that classical and electronic features are combined in the University’s reading halls, which further increases the opportunity of getting high-quality education.
About 1000 students visit the ASPU reading halls every day. The University has more than 12 000 students.
The reading room was technically equipped under the Mahatma Project. On the sidelines of the project the Pedagogical University today is developing leaders for managing educational transformation. Fifteen MA students have chosen the new Master’s programme/professional development courses in higher education management. The start of the course has already been announced, with lessons being held at the technically equipped modern library. The students are expected to acquire the skills required for the profession within two years.
