Relocating an entire higher education system, at a cost of ?2.3 billion, is no mean feat, as Armenia¡¯s government has learned.

Since 2021, the country¡¯s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has been developing radical plans to move all the universities based in the centre of its capital, Yerevan, to an ¡°¡±?campus?on its outskirts.

The idea has been criticised for having ulterior motives, with ̽»¨ÊÓƵ?reporting earlier this year?on concerns it would prevent protests and free up prime real estate.

But in an exclusive interview, Zhanna Andreasyan, the Armenian minister of education, science, culture and sport, defended the project, saying?that?it will bring a post-Soviet system into the modern era.

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Consolidating the number of universities from more than 60 to about 10, the project aims to create a single campus that will include sports facilities, a cinema, theatre and student dormitories.

Construction work for the hub, which will be home to about 50,000 students and staff, is due to start later this year, with plans to host its first cohort from 2030.

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¡°It is one of the biggest projects of our government,¡± Andreasyan said. It is also one of the biggest higher education transformations currently?happening globally. It is being designed as a ¡°true city, with sports and cultural infrastructure¡±, she added.

The project is receiving support from the international academic community, and institutions including UCL and the University of Arts London. The latter ¨C which was formed through a merger of six colleges ¨C has agreed to offer advice on the mergers as well as educational programmes and training for staff.

¡°To have the right environment for this new content and for this renewed structure to operate, we need a new space and a new environment,¡± Andreasyan said. ¡°If we are saying that higher education and research should be integrated, then we need more space for our lecturers to do their research.¡±

For example, Armenia currently has ¡°very big issues¡± with student accommodation and lacks enough student halls in its city centre for domestic and international students, she said.

There will be a long transition period before all the students are moved to the new hub, and Andreasyan insisted that this ¡°will not happen in a day¡±.

Addressing the?staunch criticism?the project has received, Andreasyan?dismissed claims it was about relocating groups that have historically been a force of anti-government opposition away from the city centre.

She said there have been no student protests?against the plans, which have been formulated in consultation with the universities involved.

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Concerns have also been raised over what will happen to the historic buildings that the universities vacate.

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Andreasyan said any money raised from the buildings would be reinvested in the academic city, with the government exploring options to rent out some of them.?

The country has ¡°inherited a system from Soviet times¡±, she said, and the policy feeds into wider political aims. The government is currently pursuing ¡°a peace agenda¡±, having signed a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in August, and Pashinyan declaring it is??before Armenia opens its borders with Turkey.

Relocating its academic hub to the outskirts of Yerevan opens up greater tourism and economic opportunities in the centre, Andreasyan?argued.?

¡°The peace agenda is very important for our government,¡± she said, adding that the country is looking to become a ¡°crossroad¡± of logistic routes, communication, and culture between Asia and Europe.

¡°I do believe that creating the academic city and opening up the older spaces for other functions would allow us to meet this peace agenda, and to meet economic developments and growing demands,¡± she said.

The government is also looking to secure private sector investment and collaboration in the project and hopes that the city can feature a ¡°startup district¡± that attracts businesses to relocate.

However, as Armenia looks to consolidate its sector from 60 institutions to 10, Andreasyan admitted that there will be job losses along the way but said any academics that do not meet ¡°quality requirements¡± will be supported in securing jobs in other key sectors, including teaching, or supported in gaining other qualifications.

Overall, she believes that the plans will be transformative for Armenia. ¡°It would totally change the situation [for Armenian higher education]. It will have a system-level impact. But it won¡¯t happen in one day,¡± she said.

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juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com