Yerevan, University of

Founded in 1920. In 1971 it included departments of mechanics and mathematics, applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, philology, history, law, economics, commercial commodities and trade economics, geology, geography, and Oriental studies; departments for the preparation of foreign citizens, for improvement of the qualifications of instructors in institutions of higher learning, and for supplementary training for top economic officials; evening, correspondence, and preparatory divisions; a graduate program; 85 subdepartments; a computer center, operated in conjunction with the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR; research and teaching laboratories; and an interdepartmental laboratory of applied technology and programmed instruction. The library has more than 1.2 million items.

The university’s enrollment in the 1970-71 academic year was approximately 13,000, which included students from the German Democratic Republic and Vietnam and Armenian expatriates from Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, the USA, Great Britain, France, and the Middle East. The teaching and research staff numbered over 1,200, including 30 academicians and corresponding members of the Academies of Sciences of the USSR and the Armenian SSR, 90 professors and doctors of science, and 320 assistant professors and candidates of science.

Prominent scholars and scientists who have lectured at the University of Yerevan include A. Manandian, Leo (A. Babakhanian), R. Acharian, M. Abegian, and Gr. Kapantsian.

The university publishes Nauchnye trudy (Scientific Transactions; since 1925), Vestnik (Bulletin), and Uchenyc zapiski (Scholarly Proceedings; both since 1967) in Armenian and Russian.

Between 1920 and 1971 the university trained more than 24,000 specialists. In 1970 it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.