CIS education ministers agree in Yerevan to implement college network project
YEREVAN, October 22. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Education Minister Armen Ashotyan said Friday Ministers of Education of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (post-Soviet countries-ARKA) agreed to establish CIS college network following the XIX conference of CIS Education Ministers in Yerevan, October 18-19.
The conference was held in assistance of CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation.
Six CIS countries were said to participate in the conference, the other three states served as observers.
“Education sphere needs a lot of time for shifting to the roll-out of ideas. I can give an example of the university network, which is already active in CIS… We hope this experience may lead us to implementing college network project in a shorter time, but it will still take some time, “ Ashotyan told journalists.
According to him, two Armenian universities are included into the CIS university network: Yerevan State University, and Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov. In addition, Yerevan State Engineering University has recently applied for cooperation in this format as well.
On his side, a rector of Institute of Professional Education of Belarus Arkady Shklyar said the college network will function on the basis of cooperation between CIS secondary and higher educational establishments.
The colleges will exchange their students and professors to improve these or those spheres in trouble, he added.
Shklyar said the college network will aim for developing skills in nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, engineering. The document authorizing the college network launch is likely to be signed later this year, or early next year.
Sergey Maskevich, Education Minister of Belarus, on his turn, said the Belarusian side hopes to see Republican Institute of Professional Education of Belarus as the head establishment of the CIS college network. As of now Belarus has designed enough number of projects with Russia related to the future college network functioning, that will aim to preparing professional staff.
Maskevich added that “CIS college network” project, can possibly become effective since next academic year after the CIS heads of governments sign the related normative documents. —0-