KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The Chair of Sociology and Social Work at the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) is marking its 15th anniversary, and on this occasion, the ASPU is hosting a series of events that were launched with courses for practical skills development.

“Social reality is all about structures, phenomena and processes in which people are interconnected and interact in a certain way. It may serve as a process and form of relations and human interaction — here and now, a process of relations within the scope of development and change of history,” Dean of the Faculty of Education Psychology and Sociology Ruzan Petrosyan remarked as she greeted the participants of the event, attaching importance to the event that is being held on the occasion of the establishment of the Chair of Sociology and Social Work.

ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan stated that the functioning of the Chair of Sociology and Social Work forms a part of her personal story since she was the Head of the Chair of Education Psychology and Sociology in that period.
Professor Gevorgyan recalled that the Chair was founded on the basis of the Sociology Laboratory; thanks to the discourse with psychologists and scholars who stand behind the establishment of the Chair, after a short while, the Chair started becoming active and provided its own alumni with the opportunity for professional growth.

Srbuhi Gevorgyan voiced hope that the active efforts of the 15-year-old Chair of Sociology and Social Work will exceed the active efforts of all the previous years in terms of lectures, scientific-methodical, research and pedagogical activities and student activism. She assured that it is thanks to these very specialists that it is possible to ensure possible predictions for various questions that are among the why’s and how’s in the modern world.
The event continued with the screening of the film “15 Years of the Chair”; as a matter of fact, among those attending the event were alumni of various years, most of whom have made their major contributions to the development of the social sector in Armenia. The alumni also took part in a discussion during which the young and experienced specialists of the sector joined forces and tried to clarify the questions about various problems related to the profession.

The event also featured the “Social Reality through Our Eyes” student photography competition. As Head of the Chair of Sociology and Social Work Gayane Khachikyan stated, the photos show the social reality in the professional field, adding that in the comments there is a unique perception that is characteristic of sociology and people specializing in social work.
Gayane Khachikyan added that the top 10 photos were selected based on several criteria. “We attached importance to the photos that were maximally close to the social reality and assessed the students’ interpretations of the topic. Since the students are studying society, their perceptions also need to be unique.”

Based on a vote, Tsaghik Karoyan won 3rd place for her photo entitled “Inequality in a Stone Metaphor”, followed by Liana Grigoryan in 2nd place for her photo “Demand for Education”, while Gayane Poghosyan won 1st place for her photo “The Power of the Past in the Hands of the Future”. The winning photo symbolized the relationship between the generations where the Past transmits to the Future its experience and values. The power of the future is built on the foundations of the past, ensuring continuity of evolution.