We are occasionally told that if Armenia’s neighbors have abundant natural resources, Armenia is lucky to have its people. Prime Minister Mr. Tigran Sargsian repeated this idea again on 26 June in his opening speech at DigiTec Business Forum in Yerevan. Mr. Sargsian who usually uses Strategic Management jargon when talking to bankers and businessmen said: “The only competitive advantage that Armenia has is its intellectual potential”.
The problem with intellectual potential or capital is that, unlike other resources, it is extremely mobile and if it is not protected, supported and nurtured, it can easily relocate. There are countries that seek foreign talent to boost their own economy in detriment of those that experience loss of talent or so-called brain drain.
Armenia is in the latter situation; it is currently subject to brain drain. The magnitude of current outward migration is of course incomparable with what the county experienced in the 90s. The collapse of the Soviet Union including its highly-centralized research infrastructure, the “cold and dark years” of post-independence, the abrupt change of the official language of instruction from Russian to Armenian, etc. encouraged many scholars to leave the country.
It is true that the migration has sharply declined in recent years but it has not stopped. The country’s research and innovation capacity shrinks year after year, and this will certainly continue as long as serious measures in favor of the country’s education and research are not taken.
Institutes in Trouble
The problem with intellectual potential or capital is that, unlike other resources, it is extremely mobile and if it is not protected, supported and nurtured, it can easily relocate. There are countries that seek foreign talent to boost their own economy in detriment of those that experience loss of talent or so-called brain drain.
Armenia is in the latter situation; it is currently subject to brain drain. The magnitude of current outward migration is of course incomparable with what the county experienced in the 90s. The collapse of the Soviet Union including its highly-centralized research infrastructure, the “cold and dark years” of post-independence, the abrupt change of the official language of instruction from Russian to Armenian, etc. encouraged many scholars to leave the country.
It is true that the migration has sharply declined in recent years but it has not stopped. The country’s research and innovation capacity shrinks year after year, and this will certainly continue as long as serious measures in favor of the country’s education and research are not taken.
Institutes in Trouble
In its issue dated 14-15 June, Aravot daily carries an interesting article based on a survey conducted by one of its journalists, Garik Mekertchian. Mr. Mekertchian has questioned the directors of five research institutes affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences regarding the issue of staff retention.
Mr. Armen Saghatelian, the director of the Center for Ecological Noosphere Studies, states that three of his colleagues left the Center this year and went to work in Germany, Norway, and the United States. According to him, most of the researchers working at the Center are internationally competitive; they are up-to-date in their areas of specialization, participate in different international conferences, and speak foreign languages. Therefore, they can easily forgo their 40–200 thousand AMD (135-660 USD) monthly salaries and expatriate. In foreign countries, according to Mr. Saghatelian, they can earn 10–100 times (100?) what they earn in Armenia.
Given the growing global demand for scientific research in environmental protection and sustainable development, one can expect that many among the remaining fifty researchers at the Center will eventually pack their bags and leave. Established in 1989, the Center is one of the newest research institutes in Armenia and employs comparatively young research staff.
Mr. Vladimir Sahakian of the Institute of Informatics & Automation Problems echoes Mr. Saghatelian’s concerns. The Institute was founded in 1957 and focuses on theoretical and applied research in information technologies. Without revealing any specific numbers, Mr. Sahakian states that “around 10 experts come and go every year” (come?). The Institute pays 50–60 thousand AMD (165– 200 USD) per month to its young researchers who can earn, according to Mr. Saghatelian, around 400 thousand USD (?) on annual basis if they expatriate. Mr. Sahakian believes that young scientists who leave “are not at fault; they have families to feed”.
At the first sight the situation seems to be different at the Institute of Mathematics due to its low staff turnover. The Institute was created in 1971, focuses on fundamental research in Mathematics, and enjoys some international recognition and reputation. Since 1979, it publishes the English version of its journal, Journal of Contemporary Mathematical Analysis, by Allerton Press, NY, USA. The Institute has also established a special fund, the Fund for Research Mathematics, to support and promote scientific research and education in Armenia.
According to Mr. Bagrat Batikian, the director of the Institute, the main reason for their low turnover is that there is a weak demand for their research staff abroad. So what they do to complement their low salaries is to teach or “do business”.
Reading Mr. Batikian it becomes clear however that the main reason behind their low turnover is not that Armenian mathematicians are in low demand overseas but rather the fact that their researchers are relatively old or, simply put, are too old to leave. Indeed, Mr. Batikian mentions that most of his 35 colleagues are senior researchers and that he is unable to convince young mathematicians to come and work at the Institute. The Institute typically offers a monthly salary of around 40 thousand AMD (135 USD) to young researchers. According to Mr. Batikian, many young mathematicians in Armenia plan their expatriation during their studies and leave the country right after graduation, or go into the IT sector where they can earn higher salaries.
The Institute of Botany seems to be in a similar situation although its director Mr. Jirair Vardanian considers their Institute “an exception” because they have had no departures in recent years. He explains their success by the devotion of the staff to research work. Mr. Vardanian admits however that they have trouble recruiting young researchers as the Institute offers a starting monthly salary of only 30–35 thousand AMD (100–115 USD). “Our current conditions do not match their expectations”.
Full dedication to scientific work seems to explain yet another odd case; the Institute of Radiophysics & Electronics. Founded in 1960 and based in Ashtarak, the Institute is headed by Mr. Arsen Hakhumian. He has experienced no turnover among his 90-strong research team although the average monthly salary stands at 47 thousand AMD (155 USD). Their researchers go on foreign assignments on regular basis, “sometimes for as long as half a year”, but do return to Armenia. Mr. Hakhumian states that they have implemented a “special plan” to attract young researchers in the last two years and have managed to recruit 14 researchers this year. In his recruitment drive, he is careful to target those who have “a genuine interest in scientific work” and then tries to bind them to the Institute by non-monetary means. Mr. Hakhumian is however not entirely sure of the long-term effectiveness of these measures; “life will show if they will stay with us or will leave”.
In contrast to the four directors who discuss their staff turnover problems with great frankness and clarity, A. Hakhumian does not elaborate much on his successful recruitment and retention strategies including the use of non-monetary incentives. I think his and Vardanian’s emphasis on the commitment of their staff to scientific research may even be misleading as it somehow implies that the institutes that are facing turnover problems have lesser committed staff. Or maybe the reason why young researchers leave the county is that they are not genuine scholars.
Ingenuine Scholars?
Mr. Armen Saghatelian, the director of the Center for Ecological Noosphere Studies, states that three of his colleagues left the Center this year and went to work in Germany, Norway, and the United States. According to him, most of the researchers working at the Center are internationally competitive; they are up-to-date in their areas of specialization, participate in different international conferences, and speak foreign languages. Therefore, they can easily forgo their 40–200 thousand AMD (135-660 USD) monthly salaries and expatriate. In foreign countries, according to Mr. Saghatelian, they can earn 10–100 times (100?) what they earn in Armenia.
Given the growing global demand for scientific research in environmental protection and sustainable development, one can expect that many among the remaining fifty researchers at the Center will eventually pack their bags and leave. Established in 1989, the Center is one of the newest research institutes in Armenia and employs comparatively young research staff.
Mr. Vladimir Sahakian of the Institute of Informatics & Automation Problems echoes Mr. Saghatelian’s concerns. The Institute was founded in 1957 and focuses on theoretical and applied research in information technologies. Without revealing any specific numbers, Mr. Sahakian states that “around 10 experts come and go every year” (come?). The Institute pays 50–60 thousand AMD (165– 200 USD) per month to its young researchers who can earn, according to Mr. Saghatelian, around 400 thousand USD (?) on annual basis if they expatriate. Mr. Sahakian believes that young scientists who leave “are not at fault; they have families to feed”.
At the first sight the situation seems to be different at the Institute of Mathematics due to its low staff turnover. The Institute was created in 1971, focuses on fundamental research in Mathematics, and enjoys some international recognition and reputation. Since 1979, it publishes the English version of its journal, Journal of Contemporary Mathematical Analysis, by Allerton Press, NY, USA. The Institute has also established a special fund, the Fund for Research Mathematics, to support and promote scientific research and education in Armenia.
According to Mr. Bagrat Batikian, the director of the Institute, the main reason for their low turnover is that there is a weak demand for their research staff abroad. So what they do to complement their low salaries is to teach or “do business”.
Reading Mr. Batikian it becomes clear however that the main reason behind their low turnover is not that Armenian mathematicians are in low demand overseas but rather the fact that their researchers are relatively old or, simply put, are too old to leave. Indeed, Mr. Batikian mentions that most of his 35 colleagues are senior researchers and that he is unable to convince young mathematicians to come and work at the Institute. The Institute typically offers a monthly salary of around 40 thousand AMD (135 USD) to young researchers. According to Mr. Batikian, many young mathematicians in Armenia plan their expatriation during their studies and leave the country right after graduation, or go into the IT sector where they can earn higher salaries.
The Institute of Botany seems to be in a similar situation although its director Mr. Jirair Vardanian considers their Institute “an exception” because they have had no departures in recent years. He explains their success by the devotion of the staff to research work. Mr. Vardanian admits however that they have trouble recruiting young researchers as the Institute offers a starting monthly salary of only 30–35 thousand AMD (100–115 USD). “Our current conditions do not match their expectations”.
Full dedication to scientific work seems to explain yet another odd case; the Institute of Radiophysics & Electronics. Founded in 1960 and based in Ashtarak, the Institute is headed by Mr. Arsen Hakhumian. He has experienced no turnover among his 90-strong research team although the average monthly salary stands at 47 thousand AMD (155 USD). Their researchers go on foreign assignments on regular basis, “sometimes for as long as half a year”, but do return to Armenia. Mr. Hakhumian states that they have implemented a “special plan” to attract young researchers in the last two years and have managed to recruit 14 researchers this year. In his recruitment drive, he is careful to target those who have “a genuine interest in scientific work” and then tries to bind them to the Institute by non-monetary means. Mr. Hakhumian is however not entirely sure of the long-term effectiveness of these measures; “life will show if they will stay with us or will leave”.
In contrast to the four directors who discuss their staff turnover problems with great frankness and clarity, A. Hakhumian does not elaborate much on his successful recruitment and retention strategies including the use of non-monetary incentives. I think his and Vardanian’s emphasis on the commitment of their staff to scientific research may even be misleading as it somehow implies that the institutes that are facing turnover problems have lesser committed staff. Or maybe the reason why young researchers leave the county is that they are not genuine scholars.
Ingenuine Scholars?
It is true that nowadays many Armenian male students go into higher education and research to postpone and avoid military service. The “academic loophole” allows them to drag on for several years and then receive full exemption when they turn 28 years old. It is therefore not surprising to see a rather heavy concentration of male students at research-oriented master degree programs and doctoral studies in Armenia. This was even publicly denounced by President Serge Sargsian when he addressed the annual general assembly of the National Academy of Sciences last 25 April.
It is regrettable that under current circumstances universities and research institutes end up with a pool of non-genuinely motivated and consequently mediocre students and junior researchers (this is a serious issue that deserves a separate post). I think it is however incorrect to link this phenomenon to the process of brain drain. Based on all evidence, including what Messrs. Saghatelian, Sahakian and Batikian explain in the Aravot article, most of the researchers who leave the country pursue academic careers abroad. Moreover, they usually maintain close ties with their institutes back home. It is therefore inappropriate to consider them insincere scholars.
Moreover, it is too simple or even simplistic to explain their migration solely on the basis of low salaries and that “they have families to feed”. The research environment in many foreign countries is much more dynamic and researchers are given better work conditions than in Armenia. Unfortunately, most of research facilities and equipment that are now available in Armenia, both at research universities and at the institutes affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences, are leftovers from the Soviet period which impede serious scientific work. By moving to foreign countries, Armenian researchers are not only able to “feed their families” but also can concentrate fully on their work (no more side jobs needed) and pursue their scholastic interests in a better equipped and more supportive environment. This again argues for the authenticity of their commitment to scientific work.
Does It Really Hurt?
It is regrettable that under current circumstances universities and research institutes end up with a pool of non-genuinely motivated and consequently mediocre students and junior researchers (this is a serious issue that deserves a separate post). I think it is however incorrect to link this phenomenon to the process of brain drain. Based on all evidence, including what Messrs. Saghatelian, Sahakian and Batikian explain in the Aravot article, most of the researchers who leave the country pursue academic careers abroad. Moreover, they usually maintain close ties with their institutes back home. It is therefore inappropriate to consider them insincere scholars.
Moreover, it is too simple or even simplistic to explain their migration solely on the basis of low salaries and that “they have families to feed”. The research environment in many foreign countries is much more dynamic and researchers are given better work conditions than in Armenia. Unfortunately, most of research facilities and equipment that are now available in Armenia, both at research universities and at the institutes affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences, are leftovers from the Soviet period which impede serious scientific work. By moving to foreign countries, Armenian researchers are not only able to “feed their families” but also can concentrate fully on their work (no more side jobs needed) and pursue their scholastic interests in a better equipped and more supportive environment. This again argues for the authenticity of their commitment to scientific work.
Does It Really Hurt?
It is clear that the migration of scientists and academics from Armenia does not benefit the country, expect probably in terms of future inward money transfers. In addition to hurting “the country”, the migration seriously hampers the work at research institutes that the migrants leave behind. It is not always easy to replace a researcher; it usually takes years to train and prepare an appropriate successor. Meanwhile, the departure of a researcher may slow down or even paralyze the overall research work at a given institute as in many cases the work is done in teams. It is also a net financial loss for the institute as their senior staff usually spend considerable time and energy to train a junior researcher. Equally important is the dramatic effect that a researcher’s departure has on the morale of the remaining colleagues.
On the other hand, it is also true that merely staying in Armenia under current circumstances does not necessary mean that the researcher has a significant contribution to science or to the country. Researchers are underpaid, science is underfinanced, and the academic community is disconnected from the country’s economic and social orientations which remain largely undefined. As such, contrary to what Prime Minister Mr. Sargsian claims, Armenia’s intellectual capital is not - at least for the time being - serving the country’s economic and social development.
Only when the government adopts and implements clear policies to preserve and develop the country’s scientific capacity; manages to link educational and research institutions to selected strategic clusters and sectors; helps to create strong partnerships among universities, research institutes, industries, and other stakeholders; … only then, Mr. Sargsian will be right to claim that the country’s intellectual potential is serving as the basis of the national competitive advantage.
On the other hand, it is also true that merely staying in Armenia under current circumstances does not necessary mean that the researcher has a significant contribution to science or to the country. Researchers are underpaid, science is underfinanced, and the academic community is disconnected from the country’s economic and social orientations which remain largely undefined. As such, contrary to what Prime Minister Mr. Sargsian claims, Armenia’s intellectual capital is not - at least for the time being - serving the country’s economic and social development.
Only when the government adopts and implements clear policies to preserve and develop the country’s scientific capacity; manages to link educational and research institutions to selected strategic clusters and sectors; helps to create strong partnerships among universities, research institutes, industries, and other stakeholders; … only then, Mr. Sargsian will be right to claim that the country’s intellectual potential is serving as the basis of the national competitive advantage.
1 comments:
I quite liked this message regarding the realities of Armenian scientists choices to remain in Armenia or to go abroad. I'd really like to see the Armenian government, the people, and most definitely the Diaspora exhibit a greater interest in supporting basic scientific research and to invest more heavily in modernizing the science infrastructure.
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