The major Institution of higher education in Shirak region, Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute after M. Nalbandyan (GSPI), is 75 years old. In the autumn of 1934 the second educational center for training teachers with higher education was founded in Leninakan, the second largest town in the Socialist Republic of Armenia, which aimed to train additional staff of teachers in the northern part of the country and promote school education. At present it is not only one of the leading educational and scientific centers in the sphere of national education, but also a large cultural structure, which for already several decades has played an incomparable role in the social and cultural life of the republic and particularly of Shirak and Javakhk regions.
Pedagogical institute with its three Faculties of Linguistics, History and Physico - Mathematical, opened in the former building of Alexandrapol Commercial College, where in 1919 the University of Armenia began before moving to Yerevan. During its first academic year the institute had about 16 lecturers and 100 students (Hovhannes Shiraz, the future outstanding poet among them). Rector S. Movsisyan, the founder of the institute, within a short period of time managed to recruit experienced lecturers, well – known teachers and outstanding specialists invited from the capital. Soon the institute with the local theatre became the pride of the inhabitants of Leninakan, turning into a real center of intellectual life of the city.
During the first 5 years of its existence more than 350 students graduated from the institute. The pre- war years were the years of “self - making” and establishment: new departments were founded, a number of educational issues found their solution.
The Great Patriotic began… Many students and lecturers of the institute went to the front. More than 85 of them fell victim, the rest returned as victors with medals and ribbons on their chests. The war ended and the life at the institute got into its natural flow. In 1949 the institute was named after Nalbandyan, the great Armenian writer and democrat. The number of students and lecturers gradually increased, the work at the institute progressed. At the beginning of the 50s the institute had 420 students. During the further years many outstanding scientists were visiting lecturers, among them academicians A.Gharibyan, G. Sevak, A. Shahinyan, A. Ter- Mkrtchyan, G. Gharibjanyan, M. Mazmanyan, E. Aghayan.
The material and technical resources of the institute were enriched: workshops for metal and wood work were founded. Various laboratories, a number of educational studies, a new reading hall started to function at the institute. The library grew richer. Nowadays its “Golden Fund” comprises 700 rare books, the oldest of which was printed in 1650. New specialities were implemented: the Russian Language and Literature, Methods of Teaching at Elementary Schools, History, General Technical Education. New chairs were formed: Mathematical Analysis, Algebra and Geometry. The number of students increased. From 1960 to 1966 the institute was reorganized into the branch of Yerevan Pedagogical Institute after Kh. Abovyan (currently Yerevan State Pedagogical University).
In 1966 the independence of the institute was regained: new perspectives were opened for the institute with already established traditions. Further improvement of the educational process at the Institute, the growth of its rating during the future years were considerably conditioned by the productive work of Rector, Prof. K. Hovsepyan: the demand of the time was the abrupt improvement of the quality of lecturing staff. All conditions were provided for the best graduates of the institute to pass their post – graduate education in different scientific centers of the Union, considerably increased the number of people with scientific degrees and titles. The Departments of Physics and Mathematics, Linguistics and Culture were re- formatted and enriched with new specialities (English and Russian Languages, the Russian Language and Methods of Teaching, Physical Training, School Pedagogics). New educational blocks, sports and health center, students’ hostel were constructed; the new gym started its activities. A number of new laboratories, language rooms and lecture– halls were established. Classes of part- time education were organized. Student’s cafeteria was opened. The institute assisted the students and academics in organizing their leisure by providing them with a new cafeteria, a holiday camp, located in Lori, student theatre, the team of “The Merry and Smart”, the choir, the brass band and the pop group “Tsitsernak” were very popular in the city of Leninakan and in Armenia.
Due attention was paid to the improvement of the housing and living conditions of the institute staff.
In 1975 new chairs of the Russian Language, Methods of Teaching, Military Training (later Primary Military Studies) were opened in addition to already existing 2 traditional faculties. 1980 was noted for the foundation of the Faculty of Pedagogics with the prospect to involve the best graduates of the Institute in them. Great attention was paid to the enrollment of the students in the sphere of research work. Collaboration with different Institutes of the country and creation and development of international relations are due to mention.
The Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1984. It was awarded the medal of “Patvo Nshan” for serious progress in the sphere of higher education. Most of the 11000 graduates of the Institute replenished the number of school teachers, many of them were promoted as heads of Departments for Public Education, directors of technical colleges, headmasters of schools and nursery schools. The institute with its three faculties (of Linguistics, Physico-Mathematical and Culture), 9 specialities (the Armenian Language and Literature, the Russian Language and Literature, Russian and English, Maths, Physics, Maths and Physics, Pedagogics and Methods of Primary Teaching), 14 chairs, 1300 students and 140 lecturers really became one of the largest and most important scientific centers of the republic.
The 1988 earthquake was a real shock for the Institute. One of its buildings was completely ruined, the others were not fit for use. 104 students, lecturers and employees of the Institute fell victim to the disaster. In the days of calamity, even being in great mishap and grief, people were concerned about the future existence of the Institute.
A week later after the terrible disaster a meeting was held by the staff-members of the Institute. They decided to stay in the ruined town and gather all those who survived the devastating earthquake. Life settled down little by little. Many teachers, hundreds of students came back and the Institute restarted its former activities.
Post-disaster years were the hardest in the history of the Institute. The natural disaster was followed by the economic and energy crisis, by the blockade and the imposed war. In spite of all those hardships many improvements were inserted in all spheres of the Institute.
In 1994 GSPI moved into a newly-constructed school-building in Ani district, thus partially solving the housing problem for the last 15 years. It is located in a new 4-block building with modern well-equipped specialized auditoriums and laboratories, gym-halls, open-air sports grounds, and a wonderful garden surrounding the building. The number of faculties has increased to six. New non-pedagogical specialities among them Kinesiology, Geography, Ecology, Informational Technologies, Journalism, Chemistry, Biology, Fine Arts, Music, Translation Studies, Social Studies, Rescue Activity, Management have been implemented. Many functioning departments went through structural changes; many new ones were established, such as Psychology, Engineering, Civic Education, Political Science and Economics, Pre-school and Primary Pedagogics, French, Biology, Chemistry and so on. The Institute has its basic high school.
In the year of 2000 the Institute started correspondence course which involves 2800 students.
Since the 90-s new sectors have been formed (Fine Arts and Drawing, Music, Geography and Environmental Protection), new studios were formed for Sculpture, Embroidery, Ceramics and working metal. Since 1996 “Ani News”, the institute monthly has been published. In 2007 students’ TV studio was established equipped with modern technical resources.
The student theatre and the choir are quite popular among the students. It has become a good tradition to organize exhibitions of the teachers’ and students’ handworks: sculpture, paintings and drawings. A computer centre providing twenty-four-hour service is established and all the departments of the Institute are supplied with computers.
At present GSPI is a big scientific centre with its 28 departments, 3 educational-scientific sectors and 2 scientific centres and a teaching staff including 370 tutors, among whom there are associate members of Academy of Science, Doctors of Science, Professors, Candidates of Science, assistants and tutors.
During the last three decades more than 60 monographs, 2700 scientific and methodological articles, 70 manuals have been published; more than 40 grants have been implemented. All these facts come to prove that the scientific work in the Institute is highly productive.
Post-graduate course which has been functioning since 2006 is to provide the institute with teaching staff. Many educational reforms have been carried out, the aim of which is to be involved in the international educational process and to provide a high-quality education. At present the Institute has a 3-degree educational system (bachelor, master and post-graduate courses). Consistent work has been done to develop new educational programs and curricula for Credit-Based Teaching System. We are productively cooperating with other universities of Armenia as well as with several international institutions. We have successfully integrated into the process of the European educational reforms and according to the principles of Bologna process we cooperate with other universities. This cooperation includes the following spheres:
1. within the frame of Erasmus Mundus “External Cooperation Window for Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan” we have realized students and academic exchange with the Universities of Thessaloniki (Greece), Anger (France), Tuscia (Italy).
2. we also cooperate with the embassies of the USA, France, Great Britain, the Russian Federation as well as such international organizations as IREX, ACCELS, TEMPUS. We closely collaborate with the schools of our region. We organize refresher courses for teachers and assist schools in making educational and teaching projects.