Yerevan State University Rector Slams Student Anti-Corruption Campaign
[ 2009/03/13 | 13:21 ]Responding to the anti-corruption campaign launched by the “Miasin” youth movement that saw photos of alleged bribe-taking teachers and faculty members pasted on buildings in the vicinity of the university, Aram Simonyan, Rector of the Yerevan State University, stated at a press conference held earlier today that, “I give the action a negative mark since you don’t fight corruption in this way. Something smells fishy.”
Rector Simonyan added that, “I don’t accept it either from a legal or moral point of view. Then again, no movement can assume the right of passing legal judgment, which is the purview of the legally appointed examining bodies. In my opinion this is out and out slander.”
The university head is convinced that in the struggle against corruption one doesn’t shout from the rooftops since such a struggle is rife with danger. “One doesn’t fight corruption using such theater tactics. And I’m not even addressing the moral side of it. They have dealt a heavy moral blow to these individuals, to their families, children and colleagues,” he added.
While Rector Simonyan didn’t deny the fact that corruption exists in our society he rhetorically asked, “From the day you are born you come into contact with bribery, handing out chocolate, taking a bottle. Why are you surprised? It’s as if you are seeing corruption for the first time in your lives. Haven’t you, your parents or friends ever given a gift, money or a bottle to someone to get your problems solved? Who is it that you want to amaze?” He added that this doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t struggle against corruption but that, “The press shows these photos being plastered on the walls with a great degree of pleasure but none of you have ever written about the anti-corruption steps taken by the university.”
Rector Simonyan argued that the value of everybody’s life has been reduced to a few cents since, “henceforth anybody that can will get up and say, you take bribes, and no one will be able to put up a defense”. According to the rector, the teachers are the ones most defenseless in this regard. “They are people living a poor life with paltry wages. One of the teachers whose photo was pasted lives in a one room apartment with four family members. What do you want from this man?”
As of January 1, the salary of a professor is 160,000 drams. “These people have individual frailties. It is possible that given their difficult conditions and seeing that students are only interested in getting high grades, these individuals will commit such offenses. Not all of course, the numbers of those in the YSU who take the bait are a minority of teachers,” noted Rector Simonyan.
He then made a comparison between those students who show up to class in expensive cars costing up to 500,000 drams and the teacher, who leaves the university after a day of classes with students who can’t even write their names correctly, wearing a torn jacket. “What must that teacher be thinking? Why do they raise the salaries of judges to ward off the possibility of them taking bribes but they don’t do the same for teachers? Isn’t that teacher also a person?”
March 13th, 2009 at 15:52
Եսպարոն Սիմոնյանի կարծիքը կիսում եմ և չեմ կիսում: Իսկ ինչու ե?ք նման խոտաններին ընդունում բուհ: Արդյոք դրանք մեզ պետք են: Միևնույն է նրանք այդպես անգիտելիք էլ ավարտում են, այսինքն` զուտ վարձի համար կարող եք ուսանող պահել , ես դա չեմ հասկանում:
March 13th, 2009 at 19:37
rector .stop your morality speech .the only fyshy smell is you.thank you again ..miasin
March 14th, 2009 at 02:19
Jesus, this rector is justifying his teachers taking bribes! he is the first one that must be fired.
March 14th, 2009 at 05:03
and this guy is the rector of yerevan state university??? let buy him a bicycle.and god forbid he did give a negative grade to the action off. miasin.very impresive statement.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:46
As yérdassard hokin kadjoutiounits hebardèm !!! i hargé gacharagèrnèr vor charounag yèv havassar irents badvin, hamasarani dourèr g gotsèn hazaravor hamèzd, badvavor, arjani endaniknérou zavagnéroun, g’espanèn azge, mardaspan assaragoutian zarkatsman, vodjindzatsnélov mechagouyt, gidoutioun, kandélov bédoutian himke dzaxélov té adjourti denélov diplômnèr.
As Gacharagéroutian professornèr, Jarangort soviét systémits, dejnami azgin, g senvèn arants motov, xoratsnélov azgi djarte midjazgayn merdzoumi timats.
Vorin zavagné garoré haystan payts américa, yévropa oussanél, avardèl(poujvèl …), patsé Mougnérou zavagnér vor g vedjarèn adjg gots.
Spiurkahayèm, payts ankan pastèr ounèm vor as professeurnèr g lapèn gacharke, anartar polor midjodznérov, sparnalik, chantage (yèval azdélov ardjiknérou badivi vera…)
Payts ouré aradjin badasxanadoun, NAXARARE !!! ??? GARAVOROUTIOUNE !!!??? VARJABEDE !!!??? NAXAKAN !!!??? DOLLAR, YEVROIN, édév.
Ayo angatsgats as xor système bidi vérana, angidagits inknazban, ankan arak ankan lav endaniknéroun, yèrdassardnéroun i chah azgin.
Vay hédévort garavaroutioune! kordz heskahagan é ! payts hayoutioun badrasté, indjbès mijt ir badmoutian, norèn esgessèl.
Gétsé ANVAX YERDASSATOUTIOUNE, MER ABAKAN !!!
March 14th, 2009 at 20:58
please translet the comment in english .all of them
March 15th, 2009 at 01:35
Ի գիտություն բոլորիդ ասեմ, որ բուհ ընդունելու հետ ռեկտորը ոչ մի կապ չունի, իսկ խոտանը, սիրելի Անահիտ, մեր նորահարուստների զավակներն են, որոնք բոլորն էլ տառապում են իրավաբանական, տնտեսագիտական և մի երկու այլ ֆակուլտետ ընդունվելու մոլուցքով և ընդունելության քննությունները “կոորդինացնող” նախագակականից նշանակված հատուկ մարդկանց հսկայական գումարներ վճարելով ընդունվում են ԵՊՀ: Դե հիմա պատկերացրեք, թե ինչպես այսօրվա Հայաստանում որևէ մեկը կհամարձակվի մականունավոր պատգամավորի, քրեականի կամ դատավոր-դատախազի զավակին դուրս թողնել: Իսկ “Միասինը” ընդգրկում է հենց այսպիսիներից շատերին ու մեր պետական այրերի պատվերն է կատարում:
March 15th, 2009 at 13:40
There you go again, see the old saying can ever be false. “The fish rottes from the head”.
Unfortunately same is true for the government too. The only way out is a dramatic change in Armenia, call it Revolution or evolution.
Tyranny must be demolished.
March 16th, 2009 at 12:45
Սրանից վատ հոտ է գալիս…. well, you are stinking as well, dear rector
actually, all of you do!
March 16th, 2009 at 17:10
Emil, Tsavet danèm, REGRESSION
March 19th, 2009 at 09:43
I know this guy Aram Simonyan, he used to take bribes in the past. He is scared to be “outed.”