Graduates of which universities will be exempt from mandatory military service in Armenia?
Students granted a deferment to study at universities ranked in the top fifty of the Shanghai Ranking will be exempt from mandatory military service in Armenia after completing their studies. One of the main conditions is that they must work for at least three years in a sector defined by the RA Government. This was announced in the National Assembly (NA) by Zhanna Andreasyan, the RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, while presenting the draft amendments to the Law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen.”
According to the Minister, the goal of the initiative is to encourage the return of citizens educated at the world’s prestigious universities and to engage their professional potential in the country’s development processes.
“There is a simple logic behind this regulation: those who have overcome the path to the world’s best universities through their own means should have sufficient motivation to return and serve their knowledge and skills for the development of Armenia. With this approach, on one hand, we ensure their return, and on the other hand, through bylaws, we direct professional potential precisely to the sectors where the state has a real need,” Andreasyan emphasized.
Andreasyan noted that according to a study conducted among 57 young people who completed their studies, only one served in the army upon return, four are engaged in research activities, 12 are wanted, and 40 citizens did not perform military service on other grounds.
Hayk Sargsyan, an MP from the “Civil Contract” faction, expressed concern regarding the legislative initiative, highlighting the issue of social inequality in the sphere of military service. According to him, most of those going to foreign universities are boys, and the annual expenses for tuition and living can amount to $80,000–$100,000.
It should be recalled that under current law, citizens admitted to the top fifty universities of the Shanghai Ranking receive the right to a deferment from mandatory military service. Since 2018, about 650 citizens have received such an opportunity, 570 of whom are still continuing their studies.