Epress.am News from Armenia
The Higher Qualification Committee under the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports has recalled its earlier decision of granting Diana Galoyan, former acting Rector of Yerevan Economics University an academic title of Doctor of Economics.
The scandal around the rectors of this university has been boiling for over a year. Chairman of the Higher Qualification Committee, Smbat Gogyan, wrote a few months ago of his intention to resign, as he found it impossible to work under a number of circumstances, including one when “Galoyan enjoys favoritism from the Ministry [of Education]. He, as well as students of the Economics University, were voicing for a long time that Galoyan, just like her predecessor Rector Ruben Hayrapetyan, had plagiarized their Doctoral dissertations. She continued her tenure due to the favoritism of Deputy Minister of Education Grisha Tamrazyan, according to Gogyan and many others.
In the decision made on July 17, the Committee revised the decision by which Galoyan received her doctoral title on February 2, 2015. In 2019, after she was appointed Rector of the University of Economics, an expert committee was set up in order to review and give an opinion about her dissertation. The committee took note of the fact that Galoyan’s dissertation contained unreferenced copy-pastes, based on which the Higher Qualification Committee initiated a proceeding. As a result, the Committee has decided to recall the decision of February 2, 2015.
The Doctoral and higher title is a requirement for holding the post of Rector, according to law. Diana Galoyan resigned a few weeks ago in order to participate in the contest of the new Rector. She will now be deprived of that opportunity.
Gogyan’s intention to resign from the post of Chairman of the Higher Qualification Committee received a large public outcry, he is a respected scientist and official, whose resignation was not approved by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.