KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

For the formation of knowledge, abilities and skills of future educators...

Educators are entrusted with the difficult task of teaching and educating generations, which requires selfless work and endless dedication.

On September 1, the Day of Knowledge and Schooling, the Pedagogical University opened its doors to about 600 undergraduate students with the promise that the bearers of the difficult but honourable profession will receive quality education, high-quality knowledge and skills, will be erudite and patriotic.

The deans of the ten faculties, vice-deans, heads of chairs, professors and representatives of student structures congratulated first-year students, presenting the peculiarities of the faculties and reminding that a teacher has been and remains the one who bears and spreads spiritual and moral values.

The entry of the newcomers of the Faculty of Primary Education was marked by a symbolic ceremony of leaving fingerprints on the tree of science and the clear commitment to the generations they will educate in the future.

Dean Heghine Khachatryan thanked the students for choosing ASPU and the teaching as profession. It is a modest profession, thanks to which specialists in other spheres are educated and formed.
When presenting the specialties of the Faculty the dean noted that they are the most responsible link as they lay the foundations for education, carry out the difficult task of educating generations, and bring the personal and human qualities acceptable to many people to the professional field.

She confesses that they are partners from today and both sides will do their best to have motivation, development and progress.

During the meeting with first-year students, Knarik Hovhannisyan, Acting Head of the Chair of Mathematics and Elementary Teaching Methods, confessed that she was able to distinguish the students of the Faculty of Primary Education by their behaviour on the very first day. Behaviour is sometimes more valuable than knowledge and abilities.

Armenuhi Manukyan, Acting Head of the Chair of Pre-school Pedagogy and Methods, says when graduating from ASPU student are already specialists. That’s why they do everything at ASPU to form student's knowledge, abilities and skills.

Armenuhi Manukyan advised the students to always smile and not deprive the children whom they are going to educate in the future of that smile. Childhood is the most important period, she stressed. "Together we will go through a life, a journey that you will remember as the best years of your life. The teacher is not the person who teaches, but someone from whom children want to learn," Armenuhi Manukyan said wishing the first-year students good luck in their studies.

The students were also welcomed by Diana Markosyan, Head of the Public Relations and Information Center, Lilit Grigoryan, First Deputy Head of the Chair of Chess and Sports, and Armine Dallakyan, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Primary Education. At the end of the meeting, according to a well-established tradition, representatives of the student structure of the Faculty gave the students symbolic pens wishing them an academic year full of growth, self-improvement and knowledge.

Faculty of Special Education welcomes freshmen for the 40th time

This year, the dean and teaching staff of the Faculty of Special Education welcomed the freshmen for the 40th time.

“You have chosen one of the most humanitarian and complicated professions. Special pedagogy has different specializations in our faculty. For many years, we have been training speech therapists, surdo-pedagogues (deaf and dumb teachers), typhlo-pedagogues (visual impairment specialists), oligophreno-pedagogues (teachers of mentally handicapped children), rehabilitation therapy specialists, and ergotherapists. We are all special needs specialists," Dean of the Faculty Gohar Hovyan said at the meeting with the students and wished them success in their studies.

"You will restore people's health, return them to life, teach them to speak and communicate. You have chosen a very important and responsible profession. You will become unique specialists. You should be proud of that," said Stepan Grigoryan, Head of the Chair of Speech Therapy and Rehabilitation Therapy.

Professor Spartak Palikyan, who taught Gohar Hovyan many years ago, was proud to say that they are welcoming the 40th generation of freshmen. "The real luxury is the luxury of human communication. You are the ones who create that opportunity," the professor said.

Deputy deans Susanna Muradyan and Ruzan Manukyan also welcomed the students.

Education can save the world and people...

Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Sociology of Education Ruzanna Petrosyan considers September 1, Day of Knowledge and Schooling, to be significant for all Armenians.

She says although people’s attitude towards education has changed in recent years, it is important to realize that only quality education can save the world and people.

Ruzanna Petrosyan reminds that the specialties offered by the Faculty are among the most humanitarian professions; they deal with a person's mental health. "It is important to become literate and master a profession thatwill help you have a secure future. We are living in a difficult and transitional period, when we should also recognize the digital world and adapt to that reality."

Gayane Khachikyan, Acting Head of the Chair of Sociology and Social Work, said in turn that student years are the most interesting and important period in a person's life.

She wished the freshmen success in studies and an opportunity to enjoy the joy of learning: " There is no greater happiness for a student than being able to master knowledge and surpass the teacher," she said.

Levon Sargsyan, Acting Head of the Chair of Psychology named after Academician Mkrtich Mazmanyan, said the beginning of an important and interesting period of life is announced [for the first-year students]. Psychology is one of the exceptional sciences that changes and forms a new attitude towards the world, life, and oneself every minute. Levon Sargsyan emphasized the importance of self-education and advised students not to be satisfied with university education only.

During the meetings, the first-year students also got acquainted with the structure of faculties, specialties they offer and details of the educational process.