by David Zenian
Unemployment is not only a serious problem for blue collar Armenian workers, but also for thousands of students graduating each year from the nation's institutes of higher learning.
From medicine to engineering, foreign languages and applied sciences, graduates are facing the same dilemma: Is it worth getting a degree, and if yes, in what.
It is no secret that hundreds of thousands of Armenians have left their country since independence in search of work and better living conditions not only in the former republics of the Soviet Union, but also in Europe, the United States, Canada and the Middle East.
Many were highly skilled professionals, including doctors, engineers and scientists. Others were factory workers and farmers.
During the communist era, every university graduate was guaranteed a job by the state, which also decided how many professionals were needed and who was to work where.
"Those days are gone, and we are on our own. We have to see what's most useful and needed in today's marketplace," said André Babayan, who recently graduated from the Yerevan Medical Institute with a degree in general surgery.
Babayan is one of this year's 694 medical, dental, and nursing school graduates who have joined hundreds of others to more than saturate the needs of a small country like Armenia which has a population of a little over three million.
"Many of the new graduates are going to Russia for employment where their degrees are accepted. It is impossible to employ all these people in Armenia," he said.
The recent graduates also have another problem -- specialization.
During the communist era when every aspect of the job market was controlled by the state, medical school graduates were placed in government-owned hospitals and clinics to continue their research and specialization.
"Nearly all of us are ready to work for nothing while doing post-graduate training, but this aspect of our education has become very difficult here in Armenia now. Only a few hospitals take new doctors for training. Most others charge large sums of money just to let us in and work for a few years before giving us paying jobs," Babayan said.
Students also complain of "bribery" which they say is often seen across the higher education system. The government says it is aware of "isolated cases of bribery" and that strict action is being taken to put an end to the practice.
If new doctors have a difficult road ahead, the same is also true for the new dentists.
"Joining a government-owned group practice needs as much as 1,500 dollars. This is not an official fee, but nevertheless, has become quite common in recent years. Joining a private practice needs more than 5,000 dollars," said Anahit Markarian, a 1998 graduate.
"And even if I can get that kind of money to join a state-owned dental clinic, I will not be making more than 20 dollars a month for a few years until I set up my own practice at home where I might -- one day -- start making 400 to 500 dollars a month," she said.
To avoid paying these large sums of money, young dentists often set up small clinics in their apartments, using out-dated equipment. Medical hygiene is often jeopardized, and so is the quality of care provided.
"We have to do with what is available. Otherwise, we have to go to Russia or somewhere else in the Republics of the Independent States," said a young dentist who has opened a clinic in a Yerevan hotel.
But despite a tight job market, nearly 1000 high school graduates still apply every year for the recently curtailed 300 available places in the medical institute.
Of these, 100 will be fully subsidized by the Armenian government and the rest will have to pay their own tuition fees which range from 800 to 1400 dollars per year.
The recipients of government scholarships are expected to serve in the army or remote country villages, while the rest are on their own.
"Our standard of education is still very high and our doctors are in demand everywhere across the countries of the former Soviet Union," says Vilen Hakobian, the Rector (Dean) of the Medical Institute.
"The academy has a teaching staff of 400, including 120 full professors. We have reached a stage where most of our budget is now being covered through tuitions. We are still attracting a large number of foreign students, including from places like Africa and the Middle East," he said.
In recent years, the Medical Academy has been equipped with new computers and internet connections which provide access to international medical libraries that help the staff and students alike.
While the trend seems to be aimed at cutting down on the number of new doctors, nurses and dentists, similar shifts in other fields of education are also taking place.
Yerevan State University, which has a student body of 8,500, has seen a growth in certain departments which in the past had a low enrollment.
"Suddenly we notice that the School of Law has become very popular with new students, despite the fact that the tuition there is the highest among our various departments," State University Rector Radik Martirossian said.
According to Martirossian, for the 1998-99 academic year, there were 340 Law School applicants by midsummer for the 100 available seats-and more applications were still coming in.
Demand was also great for the English language department which had 240 applications for the 90 available freshmen class.
For the school of business administration and economics, the ratio was 330 for the 150 available places, while 250 students had applied for the 120 places in computer sciences, and 94 applications for the only 40 places in international relations that are open for next year.
"There is also great demand for the Arabic language department where 92 students have applied for the 30 available places. Only 20 students have applied for the 20 available places in the Turkish language department," he said.
"Students are more serious now when it comes to what they want to major in. They are after subjects which will help them find a job after graduation and this means a serious drop in the number of students who are choosing physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and other basic sciences.
"Students see no future in the basic sciences. The new generation is more pragmatic and is heading more toward careers in management, marketing, banking, languages and international relations," Martirossian said.
This year there were 1,500 State University graduates, but only the best were finding jobs, according to interviews with students and educators.
"In a market economy, everything is based on supply and demand," said a young graduate who holds a degree in education.
"I should have known better and studied something else. As a teacher I cannot make more than 30 dollars a month," she said.
As the University prepares for its 80th anniversary in 1999, educators and students alike are evaluating their prospects for the future. Where are the good jobs is one question on every student's mind.
"Getting a university education is no longer an end in itself or even a primary objective. We have to see what fits best in the job market. Who wants to be a mathematician when he or she cannot make enough money to survive as a teacher," said Gayané as she prepared for the university entrance exams.
"I hope I will be accepted into the department of computer sciences. The best paying jobs are with the foreign companies, embassies or agencies, " she said.
