KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The “Summer School 2024” international program has kicked off, and the daily activities (26-31 August) at the Training Base of the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) in Aghavnadzor are many in number and interesting for the participants of the international training program.

This year, the program has brought together 50 undergraduates, Master’s students, PhD students and employees from the ASPU, as well as from the University’s partners (Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow City Pedagogical University, the North-Caucasus Federal University, the North Ossetian State University, Ural Federal University) and other educational institutions.

At the official opening ceremony, the participants were greeted by ASPU Vice-Rector for HR Management and International Cooperation Marianna Harutyunyan, who underscored the fact that the ASPU attaches importance to international cooperation and the expansion of ties. Harutyunyan added that she fully hopes that the one-week program taking place in Armenia, a country with a rich and ancient history, will help carry out an important mission, that is to say, to  develop and enhance.

Harutyunyan noted that the fact that the participants of the program preferred the summer school program over summer vacation already shows that education matters to them.

As an Associate Professor of the Chair of Logopaedics and Rehabilitation Therapy, the Vice-Rector delivered an interactive lecture entitled “Global Perspectives of Modern Education: Inclusion and Exclusion”.

During the interactive lecture, she talked about global education and remarked that this form of education will help learners acquire a number of skills and be able to overcome the global issues of the 21^st century more easily.

According to Harutyunyan, the global challenges are also due to the digital reality. Talking about the global impact on the goals of today’s youth, the speaker underscored the youth’s aspiration to make the world a better place, the importance of stepping out of the norm and enhancing critical thinking. “There are still many models of an ideal education, and a lot depends on the person, his or her world views and the right way of leading the rapidly changing world,” she stated.

The participants of the program were also greeted by Deputy Director of the ASPU Center for International Cooperation and Programs, Project Coordinator Anna Hakhumyan, who expressed gratitude for the active participation and for choosing the ASPU and the “Summer School” program. She assured that a lot of work has been done and that several factors were taken into consideration in order to make the program popular and engage a large number of students. Hakhumyan said she is glad that the international program sparked the interest of the universities with which the ASPU is not cooperating with at the moment and added that she is certain that this program serves as one of the first and major steps towards cooperation.

Ruslan Gadziyev, 2^nd year student of the Department of Oriental Studies at North Ossetian State University (a participant of the “Summer School” international program), admitted that on the very first day of the program, he and his friends understood that everything is great, there is a full agenda, and they are in a warm and cozy atmosphere. He is participating in this kind of a program abroad for the first time and is impressed by Armenian hospitality. During a conversation with aspu.am, Gadziyev assured that he will first aspire to establish contacts between the two universities and later also collaborate since both universities have the same path and many common projects.

Natalya Potapova, student of Kuban State University, said she had learned about the “Summer School” program of the ASPU on the Internet and is very glad that she was able to participate. The future higher mathematics teacher is also an ‘ambassador’ of tourism, who considers it one of her missions to present tourism outside the Russian Federation, adding that students of other countries must also be informed and participate in exchange programs. “I know that Armenia is a beautiful and sunny country. I hope I manage to visit museums and historical and cultural sites and represent my university,” Natalya Potapova remarked, adding that she will transmit the experience and knowledge gained in Armenia to her peers as ‘an ambassador of tourism’ on social networks.

Student of Moscow State University of Psychology and Education Anna Zaretskaya is a future teacher of Russian language and literature and is currently continuing her education to obtain a PhD in Psychology and Education. She says it was a dream for her to conduct the internship part of her research in Armenia. “This will also become of academic significance and will serve as valuable experience, which will also provide an opportunity for development. In an intimate and friendly environment, it is also possible to talk about what is important and emphasize each other’s experience in different directions,” she said. The participant of the program is visiting Armenia for the first time and admits that she was charmed by the program when she read the announcement online. “Besides the educational component, it also features a cultural component. This serves as a wonderful platform for talented young people to interact and meet new people,” she told aspu.am.

Besides being educational, the first day of the “Summer School” program was also cultural; it was marked by an Armenian dance lesson, as well as a presentation of the Vardavar (Water Festival) — one of the favorite Armenian holidays, and the tradition of watering each other.