YSU confirms results of chair head elections, regular session of Academic Council held

Before discussing the agenda items, YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan congratulated the university community on the renovation and reopening of the library's first floor, made possible through the financial support of the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation. The rector also addressed a matter of significant importance in the context of the university's academic environment, emphasizing accountability, internal transparency, and academic integrity. Following a complaint submitted by an international expert partner, an article was found to contain ethical violations and copyright issues. Consequently, the matter was referred to the Ethics Committee, which, under the chairmanship of S. Shoukourian, conducted a thorough investigation and issued a report proposing mutually constructive and effective solutions. 

During the session, YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan presented reports on five agenda items, covering the schedule of YSU Academic Council sessions for the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, the confirmation of decisions made by the scientific councils of several structural units regarding the election of chair heads, the awarding of scholarships named after Yuri Hovhannisyan and Ara Gabuzyan; and proposed changes to the Permanent Quality Assurance Commission under the Academic Council. 

Accordingly, the Academic Council approved the schedule of regular sessions for the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. Subsequently, in accordance with the procedures for the election of chair heads established by the YSU Foundation, and following an open vote, the Academic Council confirmed the decisions of the scientific councils of the structural units and appointed the following individuals as chair heads for a five-year term:

1. Artur Atanesyan – Chair of Applied Sociology

2. Eduard Aleksanyan – Chair of Optics and Photonics

3. Narine Durgaryan – Chair of Organic Chemistry

4. Syuzanna Esoyan – Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation

5. Armen Tumasyan – Chair of Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics

6. Anahit Hovhannisyan – Chair of Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmacy Economics and Management

7. Anzhela Sargsyan – Chair of Genetics and Cytology 

8. Tigran Simyan – Chair of Media Studies and Semiotics

9. Nvard Vardanyan – Chair of History of Armenian Literature and Literary Theory after Academician Hr. Tamrazyan 

10. Anna Poladyan – Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology

Based on recommendations from the scientific councils of the Physics Institute and the Faculty of Law, the Academic Council also established and approved two scholarships: the Hovhannisyan Scholarship (internally funded, 20,000 AMD) in honor of the prominent physicist, academician, and honorary doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, and the Ara Gabuzyan Scholarship (externally funded, 40,000 AMD) in honor of the distinguished lawyer, doctor of law, and professor.

The council further addressed changes to the composition of the Permanent Quality Assurance Commission under the Academic Council. Guided by the YSU Charter, it decided to terminate the membership of student Ani Tadevosyan upon completion of her studies and to appoint Irina Taroyan, a third-year student at the Faculty of Armenian Philology, to the commission.

Following this, P. Vardevanyan, Chairman of the YSU Competition Commission, presented the list of lecturers applying for the academic title of associate professor. After a confidential ballot, it was decided to award the requested academic title to the following five candidates:

• Naira Sahakyan – Assistant, Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology

• Tatevik Hakobyan – Assistant, Chair of Turkology

• Zaruhi Khachatryan – Assistant, Chair of Iranian Studies

• Ruzan Kulikyan – Assistant, No. 1 Chair of the English language

• Amalya Soghomonyan – Assistant, Chair of Foreign Literature

Within the framework of the agenda, Rafayel Barkhudaryan, YSU Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs, reported on the approval of applications for basic financing of scientific and scientific-technical activities for 2027 from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia. He emphasized that the high efficiency of the programs—measured by the number of publications and participating scientists—resulted in increased base funding for nine laboratories. 

Armen Sargsyan, Head of the Academic-Methodological Department, presented a report on the approval of decisions by faculty scientific councils regarding the selection of candidates for internal and externally funded scholarships for the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. A total of 67 students were selected to receive scholarships (50 internally funded, 17 externally funded), while 58 scholarships were awarded (46 internal, 12 external).

Karen Grigoryan, Director of the YSU Publishing House, reported on the approval of works for publication, following positive recommendations from the YSU Publishing Council. The Academic Council endorsed the publication of the following authors' works:

1. Rafik Nahapetyan – Armenian Ethnography: Lectures (Faculty of History)

2. Marine Minasyan – Curriculum and Methodological Guide for "Museum Studies" Course (Faculty of History) 

3. Seryozha Manukyan – Armenian Mythological and Legendary Powers and Symbols: Teaching Manual (Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology)

4. Karine Mkhitaryan – Through the Pages of 20th-Century Russian Literature: Teaching Manual for Foreign Students (Faculty of Russian Philology)

5. Ishkhan Dadyan – Literary Dreams in English-Language Children's Literature: Monograph (Faculty of European Languages and Communication)

6. Gurgen Melikyan – Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh in Armenian Culture and Literature: Monograph (Faculty of Oriental Studies) 

7. Yuliana Melkumyan – Economic Foundations of Social Work: Textbook (Faculty of Sociology)

8. Tigran Harutyunyan – Molecular Genotaxonomy: Monograph (Faculty of Biology)