KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Why Environmental Studies? The ASPU Head of Chair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Professor Karine Danielyan mentioned in her interview to the old.aspu.am that she did not consider the selection of the name of the new discipline introduced at the Pedagogical as random.

Today, the global, not local issue is not possible to solve and to study only within the scope of one field of science as long as it is connected with the environment.

“Ecology and sustainable development are synthesized in the basis of environmental studies. Based on our issues and the world projects, we need to by all means say that it is a biggest necessity today”.

When choosing this profession, the Pedagogical University’s applicants shall take a unified written examination in one subject – either chemistry, or biology, while the score of the Armenian Language and Literature will be transferred from the secondary education certificate or relevant graduation document.

In case of availability, to participate in competition for admissions to paid programmes the applicants need to initially include in their application the state graduate examination mark in physics, as marked in their graduate certificate; in case of absence of the state graduate examination mark, they need to mark the annual score thereof.

Professor Danielyan also explains that there are three forms of environmental education worldwide, the first one is integration of ecology principles and issues in various disciplines, the second is having a separate course thereabout, and the third form, which is also applied in developed countries, is to have both forms.

According to the observation of the ASPU Head of Chair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, we are applying the first form of teaching environmental studies, even though actions are taken and the “Ecology and Sustainable Development” course, developed by the joint efforts of the given Chair and the NEI, has been approved by the RA MES and has been included as a selective course in a number of schools.

“The destabilization of the Planet led to launching of the “Education for sustainable development” global action plan, which forced the world to become aware and to inform the population about those education objectives. Ecology is lying on the basis, and today young people are interested in this issue. This is, in fact, our future, and this profession will become one of the priorities throughout the time”, added Karine Danielyan.

She also notices that for the BA and MA students, special courses have been developed that are not yet taught in any other higher education establishment in Armenia.