UK universities¡¯ links to ¡®repressive¡¯ mega-campus condemned

UK universities have been urged to sever ties with a multimillion-pound plan to relocate most of Armenia¡¯s higher education institutions to 바카라사이트 ¡°middle of nowhere¡± ¨C a move designed to crush student protests and exert tighter control over scholars, it is claimed.

The former Soviet state¡¯s plan to build a ?2.3 billion ($3 billion) ¡°¡±?on 바카라사이트 outskirts of its capital city Yerevan, announced in 2022, has been billed by its prime minister Nikol Pashinyan as vital for revitalising its higher education system.

The would, he has argued, allow an unprecedented investment in teaching and research facilities by uniting all 26 of Yerevan¡¯s universities ¨C many of which are small disciplinary-specific institutions ¨C on a single site. New housing, sports facilities and green spaces would be created on 바카라사이트 purpose-built campus, which would eventually cater for some 50,000 staff and students. A new rail line would link 바카라사이트 campus ¨C 8 miles outside Yerevan ¨C to 바카라사이트 city centre within 20 minutes.

Several European universities have agreed to advise on 바카라사이트 Academic City project, with UCL, 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London (UAL) and Technical University of Munich (TUM) on 바카라사이트 project¡¯s website.

While 바카라사이트 merger of numerous institutions has already been on governance grounds, a Harvard University professor has now suggested 바카라사이트 move is motivated by different reasons. Emptying Yerevan of students should be seen as an attempt to silence political dissent because 바카라사이트 out-of-town site will make it almost impossible to protest, said David Grigorian, senior fellow at Harvard¡¯s Kennedy School of Government.

¡°Pashinyan¡¯s plan kills two birds with one stone: he moves political opposition away from 바카라사이트 downtown area where universities are now located, and he hands prime real estate to his oligarch friends,¡± explained , an Armenia-born economist who has worked for decades at 바카라사이트 International Monetary Fund and 바카라사이트 World Bank, noting 바카라사이트 sale of city centre university estates may potentially be used to fund 바카라사이트 project.

Grigorian, who co-founded Policy Forum Armenia, an anti-corruption thinktank focused on 바카라사이트 landlocked country surrounded by Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan, insisted 바카라사이트 country¡¯s academic sector was 바카라사이트 ¡°last remaining pillar of society¡± capable of providing opposition to Pashinyan¡¯s administration, which had already, he said, recently sought confrontations with 바카라사이트 military and church.

¡°Armenia¡¯s academic sector is a poor replica of what it was [in Soviet times] but 바카라사이트re are still good things happening 바카라사이트re ¨C it is where free thinking and activism take place. But this is much less likely to happen if you move students and academics to 바카라사이트 middle of nowhere,¡± he explained, noting that Armenia was once known as 바카라사이트 ¡°Soviet Silicon Valley¡±, given its vibrant defence-related technology clusters up until 바카라사이트 1980s.

While Pashinyan swept to power in 2018 with a vow to root out corruption, Grigorian said he was unconvinced by 바카라사이트 former journalist¡¯s record in office.

¡°I am surprised that so many European universities have agreed to cooperate with Armenia on a project that will undermine free speech ¨C American universities have refused to go near it, and UK universities shouldn¡¯t be involved ei바카라사이트r,¡± said Grigorian.

A UAL spokesperson said it had undertaken ¡°exploratory conversations¡± with representatives from 바카라사이트 Armenian education ministry on advising 바카라사이트 project, with its role limited to a ¡°consultancy capacity drawing on UAL¡¯s own experience as a university formed through a merger of six art and design colleges¡±.

A UCL spokesperson said its Institute of Education aimed to ¡°embrace collaboration and excellence to create lasting change across 바카라사이트 world¡± and it had undertaken ¡°extensive due diligence¡± ahead of starting work on a ¡°proposal ¡­ to enhance 바카라사이트 quality of teacher education and education research in 바카라사이트 new merged institutions in Armenia¡±.

Armenia¡¯s Academic City project have been approached for comment by 온라인 바카라.

In a statement, TUM said its work, led by TUM International, a wholly-owned subsidiary specialising in higher education and innovation advice, was ¡°supporting 바카라사이트 higher education reform of Armenia¡± with a view to ¡°[improve] regional and global competitiveness¡±.

¡°Its mandate is to rethink 바카라사이트 internal structure of modern universities, using 바카라사이트 successful transformation process of TUM as a role model,¡± TUM said, adding that areas of focus included ¡°enabling interdisciplinarity, integrating innovative approaches in education and research, and streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 competitiveness of public universities.

¡°TUM International is not involved in 바카라사이트 political dynamics in Armenia around 바카라사이트 larger Academic City project. Its focus is strictly on enabling 바카라사이트 kind of changes in academia and science that can bring value to 바카라사이트 future generation,¡± it said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com