GSU has an important role in the regional and local eco-system as far as it is the only higher education system available to Syunik Region. GSU has a significant tradition of implementing education in the spheres of Pedagogy and various fields of Economy of the region. The needs of regional development are reflected in the mission as far as GSU is one of the essential institutions in the region capable to solve regional educational problems and it has the function to prepare specialists in line with labour market demands through the involvement of the external stakeholders and local and regional authorities, the modernization of PAPS as well as the university’s active participation, consultation and support in decision making processes and the regional development projects.

By highly appreciating and retaining its mission of being the unique and leading HEI in Syunik region of RA, Goris State University (GSU) has continually been developing the system of higher education for already half a century thus ensuring the inter-institutional and intercultural relations in line with the Bologna provisions.

GSU was founded in 1967. In 2021 GSU was granted a four-year accreditation by The National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA) of Armenia.

Research and educational-methodological work is being implemented at the university. The number of the academic stuff employed at the university is 95 among whom there are 5 Doctors and Professors in Science, 32 PhD and Associate Professors and 57 Assistant Professors and lecturers. The number of the students at GSU comes up to 900.

The university has two faculties: the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering with respective chairs: the Chair of Philology, History and Law, the Chair of Foreign Languages, the Chair of Economics and Management; and the Faculty of Humanities which comprises the Chair of Mathematics and Physical-Technical Sciences, the Chair of Biology and Chemistry, the Chair of General Pedagogy and Special Education. The education is realized in 10 Bachelor Academic Programs and 9 Master Academic Programs (full-time courses) and 8 Bachelor’s Academic Programs and 10 Master Academic Programs (correspondence courses).

Several laboratories, well-equipped reading rooms and classrooms and research centres have been created in the result of the cooperation with local companies and the implementation of international projects/the laboratory of Electrical Energetics, the GIS lab, an Inclusive Education classroom, QA and Students’ Career Support Centre, the English Language Classroom etc. 

The university is effectively implementing its strategic plan by continually improving its image and reputation and raising the employability of its graduates in the labour market.

In the frameworks of the process of internationalization GSU intends to expand its cooperation and involvement in other projects aiming at:

• Modernization of the University based on the best practices of the partner universities and its own potential by way of reforms and innovations.
• Introduction and implementation of educational and research projects and services in line with the needs and development opportunities in the fields of education, culture and economy of Syunik Region.
• Preparation and recruitment of competitive and comprehensively skillful specialists corresponding to the European standards and meanwhile remaining loyal to the principles of democratization, liberalization, tolerance, education accessibility and lifelong learning.
• Fostering the academic and administrative staff mobility and mutual visits which will contribute to the exchange of best practices and progressive approach to the system of education.
• Design and introduction of new academic programs, curricula and courses
• Improving relevance of the professional education at GSU by the scaling up and the experience of the previous international projects 
• Stepping up onto a new stage of the assessment of the market requirements and university potential and needs
• Increasing GSU capacities by transferring both EU and Armenian HEIs’ best practices on raising its graduates’ employability and qualifications
• Fostering the university’s social relations at various levels through the inclusion of refugees, Asylum seekers, emigrants, people with special needs etc.