Yerevan State University is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919, it is the largest and most prestigious university in the country. It is thus informally known as Armenia’s “mother university”.
Yerevan State University was established on May 16, 1919, and professor Yuri Ghambaryan was appointed as the first rector (1919–20).
The university was officially inaugurated on January 31, 1920, in a grand ceremony held in Alexandropol, with the participation of Prime Minister Alexander Khatisian, many government officials, as well as the ambassadors of Great Britain, France and Iran to Armenia. At the beginning, the university was temporarily housed within the school of commerce building in Alexandropol (current building of Gyumri Technology Center). The first lecture took place on February 1, 1920, conducted by academician Stepan Malkhasyants.
Currently the university counts with 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents (associate professors), and 360 assistant lecturers. The university has 400 researchers, 1,350 post-graduate students, and 8,500 undergraduates, including 300 students from abroad.
Centre for European Studies of Yerevan State University has been implementing “Human Rights and Democratization in Eastern Parthnership” program since 2010, which in 2013 was renamed “Human Rights and Democratization in the Caucasus”. In the implementation of the above-mentioned program the Centre for European Studies cooperates with Kyiv National University after Taras Shevchenko, with Belarus State University and Tbilisi State University.
YSU Centre for European Studies is an independent educational and research institution, founded in July 2006 in the result of fruitful cooperation between Yerevan State University and EU Delegation to Armenia. The Centre Staff includes experts and qualified professionals majoring in EU studies, Human Rights and Democratization, guest lectures and Fellows. It aims to promote EU-Armenia cooperation and the process of Armenia’s European integration through implementation of versatile and interdisciplinary researches as well as educational programmes corresponding to European standards. The Centre is successfully implementing two graduate programmes, completed and published number of researches, it has established effective cooperation with renowned European universities and research centers and plans to carry out new studies and regional projects.
YSU official website: http://www.ysu.am