By Siranush Adamyan
Anush Petrosyan, a displaced student from Nagorno-Karabakh, has been denied the opportunity to continue her education at a Georgian university due to her diploma.
Anush was forced to flee Nagorno-Karabakh in late September 2023 following Azerbaijan’s military offensive against the region and the subsequent ethnic cleansing that led to the mass displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians. This was not the first time she had been uprooted. In 2020, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, her hometown of Shushi was captured by Azerbaijani forces, forcing her and her family to relocate to Stepanakert, the region’s capital.
Despite these upheavals, Anush continued her education and was admitted last year to the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). However, a few months later, in November, the university informed her that there was an issue with her diploma from Artsakh State University.
In a letter from Georgia’s Ministry of Education and the National Center for Quality Enhancement, Anush was advised to either verify her educational documents through the Ministry of Education of the country where they were issued or provide additional information proving their authenticity.
“The verification process revealed that the educational institution mentioned in your documents is not accredited by Georgia’s Ministry of Education and Science and does not have the legal right to issue educational certificates that meet the country’s legislative requirements,” the letter stated.
Following this, Anush sought assistance from Armenia’s Ministry of Education and the Academic Recognition Center to obtain a document confirming the legitimacy of her diploma and its compatibility with European qualifications. However, this effort also proved unsuccessful.
“I was in shock. If I was not eligible to study as a legal student, then why was I already studying there? I still haven’t received a clear answer. When I applied, I stated that I was from Nagorno-Karabakh. Every university requires a diploma or a copy when you enroll. I presented my diploma because I have no other one,” Anush said.
In February of this year, she received another letter from the university, once again rejecting her application despite the additional documents she had submitted.
The reason remained the same: Georgia has not recognized the self-declared Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and, therefore, does not accept educational documents issued there.
According to Anush, she was verbally informed that the only possible solution would be to apply for recognition through Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Education.
“I have both written and told them verbally that I do not want and do not allow my education to be subject to discussions with that side,” Anush told GIPA.
She has also sought help from the Armenian Embassy in Georgia and Armenia’s Human Rights Defender but has yet to receive a response.
A representative from the Human Rights Defender’s Office told CivilNet that they are working on the issue.
“The Ombudsperson has contacted Georgia’s Public Defender and shared the details of the case. We are in touch with our colleagues there. We know the matter is still being reviewed, as the Ombudsperson has expressed concern over the rights violation. However, we have yet to receive a final response,” said Anjelika Movsesova, an advisor at the Human Rights Defender’s Office.
Armenia’s Ministry of Education told CivilNet that they had not encountered a case like this before.
Meanwhile, Lusine Gharakhanyan, the former Minister of Education of Nagorno-Karabakh, stated that students from Nagorno-Karabakh State University have previously studied at foreign universities, including prestigious institutions in the U.S. and Europe, without any issues.
“In all cases where an Azerbaijani factor was present through an embassy and obstacles arose there. However, education is a field that should not be politicized,” Gharakhanyan said.CivilNet’s inquiry to Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the issue remains unanswered.
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