Students of Shanghai-ranked universities may be exempted from military service in Armenia
The Government of the Republic of Armenia proposes to exempt citizens from mandatory military service who, after completing their studies at leading universities listed in the Shanghai Ranking, work in Armenia for at least three years in a sector defined by the government.
If the project is adopted, mechanisms will be established through bylaws to allow citizens who have completed their studies to return to Armenia and work in the designated sector while maintaining their right to exemption from military service.
The bill was discussed in the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth, and Sport. Minister Zhanna Andreasyan noted that the adoption of the law will make it possible to ensure the return of citizens who have already begun their studies to Armenia and to utilize their knowledge in local sectors.
According to presented data, 650 citizens have exercised this right since 2018, of whom 570 are continuing their studies and utilizing the right to deferment.
The top five universities in the Shanghai Ranking are Harvard, Stanford, Massachusetts (MIT), Cambridge, and California (UC Berkeley).