An OSCE-supported three-day workshop on the implementation of anti-corruption strategies and action plans at universities started today inYerevan.

The training seminar, organized by the OSCE Office inYerevanin partnership with the Education and Science Ministry of Armenia, brought together some 50 representatives of the Ministry’s senior staff, university faculty and student councils who exchanged opinions on anti-corruption strategies.

“Corruption in educational institutions has an adverse impact on the quality of education and deprives students of their fundamental right to fair access to education,” said Carel Hofstra, the Acting Head of the OSCE Office inYerevan. “Today’s training course is a practical follow-up to the initiative undertaken by the Ministry earlier this year to have universities draw up anti-corruption strategies and action plans. It will help to convert words into action to achieve tangible results. I hope other ministries will follow this good example”.

“Raising the quality and standards in education is our priority, as education gives people greater opportunities in life,” said Armen Ashotyan, the Armenian Minister of Education and Science. “The lower the level of education, the higher are the corruption risks. Either we start tackling corruption now, or it will destroy us. It is for these reasons that we initiated this process, and we are determined to create the necessary mechanisms and capacities for universities to effectively implement their action plans”.

During the course two experts fromSerbiaandMaltawill share their experiences and provide feedback on the anti-corruption strategies developed by Armenian universities. Participants will also discuss trends in the European higher education system, anti-corruption campaigning modalities and student participation, as well as monitoring tools, standards, statutes and codes of ethics.  

“Existing anti-corruption action plans show the high level of university managers’ awareness of the corruption problem, and their readiness to deal with it. This course will be an opportunity for higher education institutions ofArmeniato compare their experiences and discuss further anti-corruption measures, in order to work out a unified university action plan. This approach will help meetBolognaProcess standards on higher education, principles of equal treatment and of the implementation of the Law on Higher Education,” added Igor Pucarevic, the OSCE expert fromSerbia.

The seminar is part of the OSCE Office’s efforts to fight corruption in higher education. It also included the establishment of an anti-corruption student working group in 2009 to raise students’ awareness of the problem and organize discussions at universities ofArmeniaon the topic.