Chronology of the SUSh College

The first page of SUSh college (hereinafter referred to as the College) chronicle was written in 1924, when the pedagogical technical school was founded on the basis of the seven-year Arghutyan Girls’ School in Gyumri. The Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee S. Kasyan, A. Mravyan, People’s Commissar for Enlightenment A. Hovhannisyan, Head of Public Education Department of the city H. Karakhanyan took part in the works. Young people aged 20-22 with IV-V grades were admitted to the first academic year. Later admission was based on incomplete secondary education. In the beginning, there were 60 students, and one “School” department.

The first director was Sargis Khachatryan. Having a basic professional education, serious organizational skills, he excelled in his duties as a pedagogue-director. He skillfully edited, completed educational programs, taking care of creating textbooks and material base and staffing the institution with qualified pedagogues.

The first graduates (50 teachers) graduated from the technical school in the 1928-1929 academic year. A new generation that adopted the traditions of Armenian illuminators and pedagogues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, entered in student classrooms. Famous journalist-pedagogue Hovhannes Ter-Stepanyan, Karapet Durgaryan, people who had studied abroad, in Moscow and Leningrad, were knowledgeable and multi-skilled, lovingly set out to make the treasures of their souls the property of boys and girls thirsting for education.

The story of the educational institution began. Among its graduates were Hovhannes Baghdasaryan, Aleksan Kirakosyan, Hovhannes Shiraz, Ludvig Mikaelyan, Aghavni, Arshaluys Saroyan, Senekerim Simonyan, Vakhtang Abrahamyan, Vaghinak Ghaltanjyan, Hakob Msryan, Sokrat Vardanyan, Dukhik Shamtsyan, Babken Maranjyan, A.Davtyan.

In the 1930-1931 academic year, a new “Preschool” department was established at the technical school. Hovhannes Ter-Mirakyan had his contribution in that field.

In the 1941-1942 academic year, the Armenian and Russian pedagogical colleges joined under the leadership of director Ilya Mikhtiliden.  The Russian department made a great contribution to the training of Russian language teachers until 1959. Among the graduates of those years were V. Hayrapetyan, high school teachers Lyudmila Serova, Maria Levintsova, Valentina Grigoryan, Valentina Ryazantseva and others.

In 1957-1958, the College acquired a musical orientation, trained song and music specialists for schools. Year by year the College was supplemented with new specialties, preparing teachers of drawing, job training, housekeeping. The principals of the College Sargis Khachatryan, Vaghinak Stepanyan, Andranik Savoyan, Alaverdi Fayroyan, Hovhannes Davtyan, Aghunik Harutyunyan, Rafik Melikyan were significant figures in the public and intellectual life of the city, who, with the help of their rich knowledge and pedagogical experience, implemented a new level of teaching until 1993.

There were “School”, “Preschool”, “Philological”, “Russian”, on the basis of secondary education, “School” and “Preschool” on the basis of 8-year education, as well as “Distance” departments in the College. The best traditions of the College were worthily continued by well-deserved pedagogues Zaven Aleksanyan, Gevorg Harutyunyan, Victoria Khalatyan, Hranush Karapetyan, Jemma Yeghshatyan, Olga Poghosyan, Svetlana Kushkyan, Lyudmila Hakobyan and others.

The catastrophic earthquake of 1988 brought a bitter reality to the College, which has a long history. The collapsed building of the College, the irrevocable losses… The building of dormitory was provided for educational purposes. Enormous work was done with the courage of will and spirit. Auditoriums were set up, new laboratories-cabinets were furnished. The College was experiencing a step-by-step recovery rhythm, taking a second breath.

In 1993-2010, the Padagogical College was headed by Rafik Safaryan. During the years managed by the latter, the institution celebrated its 70th then 85th anniversaries with great solemnity.

The student life was active. Participating in various urban and republican celebrations, student festivals, the College has always been highly praised.

In 2010-2012, Astghik Safaryan held the position of the College director.

In the 2011-2012 academic year, the pedagogical College merged with GSPI, becoming one of the structural subdivisions of the University under the name of “Department of Secondary Vocational Education”.

In 2009, the modular learning system was introduced by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Training Development (NCVETD), developed in accordance with international standards of vocational education in order to make the future specialist as capable and competitive as possible.

In the 2012-2013 academic year, Karine Ayvazyan was appointed Head of the Secondary Vocational Education Department. In the 2013-2014 academic year, due to the skilled and far-reaching strategy of the head of development, the Secondary Vocational Education Department resumed its admission with the following educational programs:

  • Translation – archiving
  • Translation – customs
  • Translation – clerical work
  • Marketing, according to branches
  • Tourism
  • Social work
  • Preschool education

Due to the above- mentioned professions, the Secondary Vocational Education Department entered a new stage of prosperity.

In the 2017-2018 academic year, the Secondary Vocational Education Department, with the direct support of Shirak State University (formerly GSPI), was moved from the former building located at V. Sargsyan Street to a new, more improved building that contributes to the quality of education, at 21/5 Shirakatsi Street. The two-storey building has a laboratory, a computer room, professional cabinets and classrooms, which allow carrying out the educational programs at a sufficient level.

Since 2017, the Secondary Vocational Education Department has been reconstructed into the ShSU College.

Accepting the challenges of the ever-changing labor market, the College regularly revises its list of professions.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, another specialty “Library work” was opened.

In the 2019-2020 academic year, Ashot Davinyan was appointed director.

There are currently 5 specialties in the College.

  • Preschool education
  • Tourism
  • Marketing
  • Social work
  • Library work

The pedagogical community of the College is staffed with capable professionals who are guided by the learner and teacher principle. The 261 students studying in the full-time and part-time systems are the future graduates of the College, for whom the education received in the student-centered environment is not only an opportunity to acquire a profession, but also a means of providing pleasure and satisfaction.

Given its modest but significant role in the region, the College is moving forward on its mission, that is-  to train capable professionals to meet the demands of today’s labor market.