Father Shahe: Number of applications to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary is directly proportional to the situation in the country

On the eve of the new academic year, Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, Father Shahe Ananyan, has told about the problems of the seminary and the achievements of recent years in an interview with Alpha News.

“Occasionally, we continue to bring in line the training and educational programs of the seminary with the status of the university. I am sure that next year, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the seminary, we will have a new and improved program and strategy,” he said.

Gevorkian Theological Seminary in Etchmiadzin, in fact, is the first higher educational institution in Armenia, operating since 1874. In recent years, the seminary has received the status of a higher educational institution from the sectoral ministry.

“Next year we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the seminary foundation. Due to the new and difficult times, we are improving education at the seminary,” Archimandrite Shahe said.

He noted that the state also authorized the seminary to have a postgraduate department. Father Shahe emphasized that the main goal of the university is to train clergymen who are Masters of Theology and can later on convey the word of God to the people. Graduates can be married or celibate, not all graduates want to become clergy. For such people, there is a postgraduate department.

“We are doing our best so that in these difficult times, when the number of students in the Republic of Armenia has significantly decreased, we have a sufficient number of clergymen, students who understand what the holy orders and the clergy are,” he said.

He recalled that the seminary is a boarding school which has some features typical of monastic life. The training period is 4 years for the Bachelor’s degree and two years for the Master’s degree in Theology. Professors are either from the humanitarian or theological-philosophical sphere.

“There are teachers from YSU, pedagogical university, Matenadaran, and those who graduated from the seminary with the highest scientific qualification. We also have very well-trained laity who also teach religious subjects,” Father Shahe said.

“Entrance examinations are held in two stages, in accordance with the new rules. The second stage is currently underway, with about 10-11 students participating,” he said and added that everything depends on the grades received by the students.

“The number of students has decreased compared to previous years,” Archimandrite Shahe stated.

According to him, this picture is directly proportional to the situation in Armenia. At the same time, Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary has noted that members of the Diaspora are actively participating in the admission.