Discharged French University Lecturers Appeal to Armenia’s Courts

On the basis of their employment contract expiring, 29 lecturers were discharged from their positions at the French University of Armenia (l’Université Française en Arménie, or UFAR). A few of the dismissed lecturers, at a press conference today, stated that the reasons for being let go were unfounded.

A lecturer with the university’s English department, Gayane Hakobyan, said that not only she, but also her co-workers who share the same fate were constantly awarded various certificates and high evaluations by the university; perhaps about two months ago, many of them were sent to different countries for training, and it seems surprising to them why the university would spend such funds if they were going to be discharged afterwards.

Narine Kokhiteyevyan, a lecturer with UFAR’s French Department, agreed with her colleague and added that there wasn’t really a reason for reducing the number of lecturers since no classes have been cut. More so, Kokhiteyevyan said, when there was talk of cutting back staff, the university’s rector assured language department lecturers that such talks don’t refer to them.  

It’s important to note that 14 of the lecturers who were dismissed have appealed to the courts, with the request to be reinstated back to work and to receive the average salary for the entire period of their forced idleness.