Graduates of world’s top 50 universities exempts from military service in Armenia

Armenia will exempt from compulsory military service students who study at one of the world’s top 50 universities. The measure applies to those enrolled full-time in bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs at institutions included in the Shanghai Ranking.

To qualify, participants must also commit to working in Armenia for at least three years after completing their studies. Throughout this period, beneficiaries must remain physically present in the country.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport has proposed the initiative, and a relevant parliamentary committee has already approved it. Education Minister Zhanna Andreasyan said employers have long expected such regulation. She believes the measure will help attract highly qualified specialists to work in Armenia.

“On the one hand, we will ensure their mandatory return. On the other, we will channel their knowledge and skills into the sectors where they are truly needed,” Zhanna Andreasyan said during the parliamentary debate.

Since 2018, Armenia has allowed deferrals from compulsory military service for students enrolled at universities ranked in the world’s top 50 by the Shanghai Ranking.

Over this period, 650 students have received deferrals. According to the minister, 570 of them have not yet completed their studies. Of the 57 who have graduated, only one returned and completed military service in the armed forces.

“Four are engaged in research activities. Twelve are wanted. The remaining 40 did not serve for other reasons,” Zhanna Andreasyan said.

She argues that the government needs to “improve its policy tools” to ensure the return of highly qualified specialists. She says it is obvious that Armenia must use their potential in science, the economy and other fields. Under the new regulation, those who received a deferral on the basis of education will gain exemption from military service only after completing three years of work in Armenia.

‘This is a step aimed at developing human capital‘

Andreasyan believes the initiative represents another step towards building human capital.

“Intellectual capital — the knowledge and skills gained at prestigious universities — is not yet returning to Armenia. This capital does not serve either the public interest or the country’s economic development programme,” she said.

Accordingly, the aim of the new regulation is to create strong incentives for students who have overcome numerous barriers and obtained education abroad. The minister says this approach will encourage them to return and apply their knowledge for the benefit of Armenia.

Attempt to prevent the brain drain

The project’s explanatory note says that training a single specialist at leading universities worldwide involves costs running into tens of thousands of dollars. For example, in the United States — at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford — annual costs range from $60,000 to $90,000. In the UK — at Oxford and Cambridge — they amount to $45,000–60,000.

At the same time, the new program will make it possible to “attract specialists in science and the economy without additional financial spending by the state”.

The authors say the initiative will help address problems linked to the outflow of skilled professionals and labour. They explain that at present:

• “the departure of young specialists — IT professionals, doctors, engineers and others — to work in another country leads to labor shortages;
• those leaving are people with the greatest potential: individuals who received high-quality education, speak foreign languages and are familiar with advanced international experience.”

In short, the education ministry expects the initiative to help resolve all of these problems.