KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The Chair of Psychology of the Faculty of Educational Psychology and Sociology has been named after Mkrtich Mazmanyan, Doctor of Psychology, Honoured Scientist of the Armenian SSR, Professor and Academician.

Mkrtich Mazmanyan, the founder of the Chair of Psychology, headed the Chair from 1951 to 1977.

The solemn event was attended by the ASPU rector, lecturers and students.

"The University, which has been preparing educators for a century, has always been staffed with prominent and talented figures, pedagogues and psychologists. The study and re-evaluation of the main theses of their heritage is of great importance. The move to name the Chair after Mkrtich Mazmanyan is also important from the perspective of professional writing style,” ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan said in her speech.

Speaking about the activity of the academician, the ASPU rector hailed his contributions to the Armenian psychology, the questions he raised about the meaning/influence of the unconscious in creative psychology, in particular, in the creative process, the history and theory of psychology.

By the way, the first research laboratory [in psychology] in Armenia was opened at ASPU in 1957 on the initiative of Mkrtich Mazmanyan, Ruzanna Petrosyan, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Psychology and Sociology, says the giants of the field - cornerstones of science - should be appreciated at all times; thanks to them another generation lives and creates today. “Today's events are tomorrow's history,” the dean added.

Levon Sargsyan, Head of the Chair of Psychology after Mkrtich Mazmanyan, highly assessed the academician's contributions to the development of psychological science at the Pedagogical University, the formation of the Chair and research laboratory and training of psychologists.

Leon Sargsyan stressed that it is important to honour and esteem great people in their sphere of activity and to continue their activity and what they have left.

Lusik Kurkchyan, an associate professor at the Chair of Psychology after Mkrtich Mazmanyan, was the academician’s student many years ago. She does not hide her excitement; her cherished dream has come true.

“Everyone admired Mkrtich Mazmanyan's knowledge. The realm of his interests was very large. He knew poetry and literature very well. An ideal person with a phenomenal memory, with deep knowledge in various fields,” Lusik Kurkchyan said adding that scientists always insisted that Mazmanyan was a unique personality.