# Artsakh University

Artsakh State University (Armenian: Արցախի Պետական Համալսարան) was a university in Stepanakert, the oldest and largest university in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. Over the course of its 50-year history, Artsakh State University has produced over 20,000 graduates in 60 fields of study.
After the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive and the flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, the university building was appropriated by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Education for a Karabakh University (Azerbaijani: Qarabağ Universiteti) (also spelled Garabagh University) on November 28, 2023, which started admitting students in 2024.
Students from Artsakh State University have campaigned for the university to resume operations in exile in Armenia.

## History

The university was established in 1969, in Stepanakert, the centre of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
At the time of its establishment, the university was called the Stepanakert Branch of Baku Pedagogical Institute named after Lenin and had only two Chairs: the Chair of Language and Literature and the Chair of Mathematics. Education was conducted in Armenian, Azerbaijani, and later in Russian.
In 1973, the university got an independent status and was renamed into Stepanakert State Pedagogical Institute.
In the second half of the 1980s, in the beginning days of the new stage of Artsakh Armenians’ independence movement, the university became the scientific basing epicenter of national struggle.
As a result, classes at Stepanakert State Pedagogical Institute were temporarily suspended, and the university moved to Vanadzor Pedagogical Institute. After the Spitak earthquake of December 7, 1988, the university lecturers and students had to return to Stepanakert, as Stepanakert branch of Vanadzor Pedagogical Institute.

### Artsakh State University

In October 1992, the Government of Armenia made a decision to merge the Stepanakert branch of Vanadzor Pedagogical Institute with Stepanakert branch of Yerevan Engineering University, renaming the newly established university into Artsakh State University, ASU.
During the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic the university noted significant development. The academic year 2008-2009 of the university was marked by the launch of a new educational process - the three-level education, aimed at the three basic cycles: Bachelor, Master and Doctorate Studies - by joining the Bologna Process. The educational system was organized in full-time and part-time sections.
The campus of the university comprised of three subsidiary buildings and an administrative building. Prior to 2023, the university had developed 5 professional faculties with around 3 000 students. The 200-member staff of the university encompassed 16 Professors, 78 Associate Professors, 53 Senior Lecturers and 15 Assistants.
Highly qualified professionals from Artsakh, as well as from Armenia and abroad were invited to deliver lectures on contractual basis. Prior to the building's appropriation, there were around 50 postgraduate students enrolled in the Doctorate Study to defend their PhD thesis and be awarded Doctor of Sciences degrees.
The educational centres operating in the university included
* the Armenological Centre
* the Ethnographic Centre
* the Centre of Friends of Russian Culture
* the Knowledge Testing Computer Centre
There were 3 up-to-date equipped computer labs, other laboratories, basic military training cabinet conforming to the latest developments in the military field, shooting hall, two gyms and two conference rooms. More than 300-seat assembly hall hosted versatile cultural activities, the smaller assembly hall - sessions of the Scientific Council, conferences and discussions.
The university library possessed 100 000 books, the electronic library with fast internet connection - around 40 000 books.
The university possessed a publishing unit that issued the "Academic Bulletin", "Armenological Magazine", Artsakh State University's monthly magazine, scientific-educational and other literature. The students had lectures in the university observatory.
Since its inception, the university had improved the educational process. The academician A. Aghabekyan, publicist Zori Balayan, Kim Bakshi, A. Nuykin, the former Vice-Speaker of the UK Parliament Caroline Cox, the member of the Swiss Parliament, Dominik de Buman, the member of European Parliament, Francois Rosblanch, historians R. Hovhanisyan, V. Dadryan, A. Ohanjanyan, the politicians Sh. Kocharyan, V. Manasyan, the academicians S. Grigoryan, E. Ghasaryan, V. Zakaryan, the oceanologist A. Sarkissov, the linguist G. Jahoukyan, the physicist R. Martirosyan, the economist Y. Suvaryan, the engineer S. Beglaryan, the Catholicos of all Armenians, Garegin the Second, the head of the Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, many other state, political figures and spiritual leaders periodically visited and delivered lectures in the university.
ASU had collaboration agreements with Yerevan State University, Yerevan State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan, Public Administration Academy of the RA, Armenian State University of Economics, National Agricultural University of Armenia, State Architectural University of Armenia, Yerevan State Architectural and Engineering University, Vanadzor Pedagogical University after H. Tumanyan, Gyumri State Pedagogical University after M. Nalbandyan.
ASU had initiated contacts with the Educational Academy of the Russian Federation, Vladimir State University and Saratov University. The university had established closer contacts and signed Association Agreements with the universities of newly independent post-Soviet states - the university of Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the universities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and had set up a scientific cabinet devoted to the sister universities.
The university held programmes in collaboration with American University of Armenia, Armenian-Russian (Slavic) University, French University of Armenia, Central European University of Slovakia, Californian State University (Fresno) and other internationally ranked universities.
A highly successful collaboration was the three-sided cooperation and implementation of educational programme with international institutions "Synopsis-Armenia" and "Karabakh Telecom" CJSC.
The ASU diplomas and certificates are recognized in the Artsakh Republic, Armenia and abroad. The university had been educating the legal, executive, juridical, military, political, pedagogical and sport leadership of Artsakh Republic.

#### Daily life

The university had a green area with summer houses and walkways of ever-green trees to relax and to prepare for classes.
The university operated three canteens.
There was a 250-room dormitory at the disposal of students from remotely-located regions of Artsakh Republic and experts invited from abroad.
Visitors and official delegations to the university paid respect to the memorial dedicated to those 75 students who fell victim to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

#### Study abroad program

In 2011, with the help of Artsakh Development Group, a non-profit organization that helps bring awareness in the United States about issues concerning Artsakh, the university launched a study abroad program. The program was launched with the California State University at Dominguez Hills to allow 12-15 students to spend a summer in Artsakh and take courses on politics, history, and economy regarding Artsakh and Armenia.

#### Research

The Artsakh State University consisted of five departments: the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Philology (Linguistics), the Faculty of Pedagogy and Sports, the Faculty of History and Law, and the Faculty of Economics. The scholars and students of the Artsakh State University commonly engaged in research in the areas of National Security, Politics, Agricultural Studies, and Archaeology.
In 2006, a team of international archaeologists began doing research in the village of Azokh where in the 1970s it was discovered that the place is a home to ancient settlers, including Neanderthals. Armenian scientists, including two Artsakh State University students, had been active participants throughout the research period.

#### Faculties

* the Faculty of Natural Sciences
* the Philological Faculty
* the Faculty of Pedagogy and Sport
* the Faculty of History and Law
* the Faculty of Economics

#### University Chairs

* the Chair of Mathematics
* the Chair of General and Applied Physics
* the Chair of Geography
* the Chair of Biology and Chemistry
* the Chair of Applied Mathematics and Informatics
* the Chair of Romance-Germanic Languages
* the Chair of Russian Language and Literature
* the Chair of Armenian Language after academician S. Abrahamyan
* the Chair of Literature and Journalism
* the Chair of Pedagogy and Psychology
* the Chair of Physical Training and Military Training
* the Chair of Fine Arts
* the Chair of History and Political Science
* the Chair of Law
* the Chair of Finance and Accounting
* the Chair of Economic Theory and Management

#### Partner institutions

* University of Central Europe, Skalica, Slovakia
* Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Yerevan, Armenia
* California State University, Dominguez Hills, Los Angeles County, California
* Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium