Mariam Gevorgyan and Tatev Arshakyan, both PhD students at the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) did a research project at the University of Rovira i Virgil in Tarragona, Spain, within the framework of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM).

Under the supervision of Spanish Professor Fabia Morales-Vives, Mariam Gevorgyan studied the socio-psychological characteristics of adolescents and young people. The aim of the research on the theme “Socio-Psychological Aspects of Personality Traits and Self-Regulation in Interpersonal Relationships,” is to determine how personality traits and self-regulation affect the interpersonal relationships of adolescents and young people aged 17–20.

“Not only did the program provide an opportunity to conduct extensive fieldwork, but also an opportunity to master modern tools for quantitative data analysis, such as SPSS and JASP. This was a valuable experience for my dissertation and future academic activity,” Mariam said in an interview with aspu.am.

Within the framework of the program, she actively collaborated with several youth, volunteer, and sports organizations in Tarragona, collecting about 150 valid survey results. The research team, comprising Armenian and Spanish specialists, plans to reach out to 600 participants and publish the results in international academic journals.

Tatev Arshakyan, a PhD student at ASPU, also conducted her research within the framework of the Erasmus+ mobility program. His field of study is history.

“Participation in the program greatly contributed to the development of my research work. I had the opportunity to study a large amount of literature that is not openly available in Armenia. Regular meetings with my research supervisor and interactions with local scholars helped me better understand the nuances and intricacies of publishing articles in international scientific databases, the key points to consider when preparing a scholarly article, and the international standards for scientific work. The program not only gave me the opportunity to work on my research and on a separate scientific article, but also helped me establish new international connections, which is invaluable in the 21st century,” Tatev said.

The successful visit of ASPU’s young researchers once again emphasizes the University’s commitment to promoting international academic exchange and enhancing the quality of research. The strong academic ties established between the two universities are the basis for future joint projects and new initiatives.