Factor-Based Priorities of National Potential in the Republic of Armenia: The Case of Yerevan State University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU.G.2026.17.1.016Keywords:
Socio-economic development, national potential, physical capital, intellectual potential, public perceptions, Yerevan State University, teaching faculty and administrative staffAbstract
National potential, as a multi-component concept, is interpreted in the theoretical literature not only through material resources, but also within the framework of the interconnection between social capital, human capital, and institutional capacities, which condition opportunities for development and resilience.
The primary aim of this article is to identify public perceptions of the factors constituting the national capacity of the Republic of Armenia and the priorities attributed to them, from the perspective of the academic staff and administrative employees of Yerevan State University (YSU). The study was conducted in a pilot format through a sociological survey, followed by an integrated (quantitative and qualitative) analysis of the collected data. A total of 220 employees participated in the survey. The findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of respondents prioritize social-capital factors within the components of national capacity—particularly human capital and the educational/knowledge factor—whereas natural resources are largely regarded as a less important component. At the same time, an interesting inconsistency is observed: while 65% of respondents assess intellectual potential as a key factor in coping with the country’s socio-economic challenges, only 45% assign a high role to educational institutions (including YSU) in the same context, which points to a gap between recognizing the importance of intellectual potential and institutional trust in its realization. In the responses to the open-ended questions, respondents emphasize the need for a substantial improvement in the quality of education and continuous changes within the education system as a prerequisite for a more effective realization of national capacity. They also highlight, in the context of university reforms, issues related to institutional capacities, individual motivation, and the disproportionate distribution of the burden of decision-making and implementation, all of which require clearly articulated overarching development strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Amalya Saribekyan, Anna Hakobjanyan, Vardush Gyozalyan
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