The university over 20 years and its development prospects

Progress University of Gyumri is one of the first private universities in the Republic of Armenia, and the first in Shirak Marz. The university was organized in 1990. in September as a branch of Yerevan Progress-Engineering Economic and Legal University. 1995 On July 13, the university received the status of an independent university under the name Economic and Legal University. 1996 since July 4, the university was renamed Progress-University and operates as a production cooperative organizational-legal form.

Since the first day of the establishment of the university, the rector has been the correspondent-member of the Russian Ecological Academy, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor Rafik Zarzandi Khachatryan. At the same time, he is the president of the Progress University production cooperative.

The educational process of the university was organized in the 1990-1991 year in the building of secondary school No. 32 of Gyumri on a rental basis. In that academic year, 108 students were admitted to the first year of the university majoring in law and economics. The training sessions started in 1990. on October 15. The professor-lecturing staff was formed by specialists with teaching experience invited from Gyumri state universities, other organizations, lecturers were also invited from Yerevan Economic and Legal University.

From the very first day of its activity, consistent work has been done in the university in the direction of creation of educational material base, formation of qualified professorial staff, educational methodical and scientific research works, effective organization of the educational process. In this case, the university closely cooperated with Yerevan University of Economics and Law, Gyumri State Universities, Republic of Armenia and a number of universities of Russia. The university closely cooperated with the Armenian universities of Georgia, the Akhalkalak and Bogdanovka branches of the Yerevan University of Economics, and helped them in the organization of the educational process.

In a very short period of time, the university created its own educational base, acquiring two wooden buildings in the northwestern part of Gyumri, which were modified and adapted for the organization of the educational process. It made it possible to start the second semester of the 1990-91 school year in its own educational building and to create good prerequisites for the effective organization of the process of the next academic year.
In the 1991-92 year, the admission of students was also organized in Finance and Credit and Psychology. 230 students were enrolled in the first year of the university. In the 1991 academic year, 330 students studied in the first and second years of the university.

In the 1993-94 academic year, the university produced its first 97 graduates in Law and Business Economics and Management. Final exams were organized at Yerevan University of Economics and Law. University professors were also included in professional graduation examination committees. The evaluation of the summary of the results of those commissions was given on the quality of training of university specialists.

1994-95 certain measures were taken to develop the educational base of the university. A 3-story stone emergency building (which used to be a dormitory of the Gyumri Knitting Factory) was acquired on Tbilisi Highway (Tbilisi Highway 40a) in Gyumri, with a large plot of land attached. The emergency building was strengthened, repaired and adapted for the organization of the educational process, the land was fenced, improved and greened. Thus, the university had the necessary educational building and all the prerequisites for the further development and improvement of the educational base. 1995-96 academic year. the university started the year in a new educational complex.

1995-96 relicensing of professions operating at the university and licensing of new professions were carried out. New specialties were added to the 4 existing specialties: Journalism, Foreign Language and Chemistry-Biology.

In 1996-97, a medical college was established next to the university with the specialties of midwifery, nursing, dental technology and pharmacy. A new two-story academic building was constructed for the college.

1997-99 the university completed the construction of the educational complex. A gymnasium meeting international standards with an attached swimming pool and sauna, a two-story hotel building for visiting professors, a dental clinic, a spacious and comfortable meeting hall with 250 seats were built. Radiofication of the entire university complex was carried out. Considerable work was done to enrich educational property and equipment, teaching aids, computers and literature. A number of educational classrooms and laboratories, a computer classroom, a library and a reading room were established.

2000 in the university, serious measures were taken to improve the educational process. New curricula and documents related to the educational process were developed in accordance with the educational standards of the Ministry of Education and Science. A number of improvements were made in the organization of the educational process, increasing the efficiency of training and the quality of training of specialists.

2000 a base school was organized next to the university.

2000 the university started the process of state accreditation of undergraduate majors, which was successfully completed in 2001. 5 specialties with state accreditation.

2004 due to the increase of licensed professions, the state certificate N006 of the university was taken back and in 2004 on August 6, it was replaced by the state accreditation of individual specialties: N104 (Biochemistry), N105 (Psychology), N106 (Law), N107 (Journalism), N108 (Finance and Credit).

2004 the accreditation of specialty 0233 (Foreign language) was carried out (state certificate N123, 28.10.2004). 2007 In March, undergraduate majors 0331 and 0312, master's majors 0604 and 0204, and medical college majors 0402, 0405, 0406, 0416 were accredited.

Thus, the university's bachelor's program is recognized as fully accredited (8 out of 10 licensed specialties are accredited, 80.0%). The medical college is accredited (4 out of 4 licensed specialties are accredited, 100.0%). 2 master's degrees are accredited. Credentials N190-200, 13.04.2007. Orders N 289-A/Q, N 290-A/Q, N 288-A/Q 13.04.2007.

Since 2005, the educational process of the university's master's degree, bachelor's degree and medical college is organized according to the new state educational standards approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. Curricula for all majors have been revised according to these state educational standards.

In 2006-2007, some work was done at the university in the direction of integration into the common European area of higher education, implementation of the provisions of the Bologna Declaration. The educational process of the university in 2008-2009 was organized with a credit system of learning, which is significantly different from the previous system of learning and will enable the university to include higher education in the European area with the aim of evaluating the educational results of students, mutual recognition of awarded qualifications and diplomas, and ensuring the uniformity of transfer from university to university.

2004 In September, the new educational building of the university was commissioned in the center of Gyumri (Tigran Metsi 1). The building is a modern university structure and is designed with high aesthetic taste. With the operation of that building, the educational material base of the university was significantly improved. The university has classrooms, classrooms and laboratories equipped with modern educational property and equipment, a rich library and reading room, a gymnasium meeting international standards with a swimming pool and sauna, well-equipped conference halls, a student cafe, rest rooms, and a hotel. , photocopier and stationery shop. There are 32 modern computers installed in the computer cabinet, which make it possible to organize students' computer training at a high level. The university has created all the conditions to organize the educational process and students' rest in an effective way.

The scientific potential of the professorial staff of the university provides an opportunity for further improvement and improvement of scientific research works. Efforts are being made to organize the scientific research works of professors in certain directions and topics, to organize problematic scientific research studies arising from the modern requirements of the republic, and to organize relevant scientific research laboratories.

There is a legal clinic at the university, the activity of which is financed by the USAID program and coordinated by the Armenian office of the American Bar Association.

In the clinic, students of the Faculty of Law, with the help of professors, conduct a free consultation for the socially disadvantaged population of Shirak region.

The university is the only private university in the republic, and the only university in Shirak marz, which carries out the training of civil servants of Shirak marz - junior, leading and chief specialists - under the program of the Civil Council of the Republic.
In 2006, he worked at Artik University, in 2007. Spitak, and in 2009 Departments of Yerevan, Akhalkalaki Ninotsminda educational counseling points.

The university has established close ties with a number of universities of the republic and abroad. Exchange of research and educational programs, introduction of advanced experience, exchange of students, etc. are carried out.

2006 Armeco is a member of the Academy, through which all university cooperation programs operate. The university closely cooperates with "Cilicia" college, exchanges students and professors.

2010 The university graduated its 17th graduate. Most of the graduates work in the profession. Many graduates work in foreign countries. Many positive opinions were received regarding the work activities and professional knowledge of the graduates.