KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

A kickoff meeting of the project Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing (BOOST) which is implemented within the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) was held at Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan.

The objective of the project is to foster and promote further internationalization of Armenian Higher Education through development of national and institutional policy framework and tools. The coordinator of the project is ASPU.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Armenia, Karine Harutyunyan, who highlighted participation of Armenian HEIs in Erasmus+ projects.

The deputy minister considered it a positive trend that Armenian universities become coordinators and partners of the projects.

“Internationalization of universities is a global trend. Everywhere in the world internationalization of universities is among priority activities. Likewise, higher education institutions in Armenia emphasize the importance of internationalization and take important steps in that direction,” she noted in her speech.

Karine Harutyunyan also emphasized the fact that besides Armenian HEIs, leading European institutions are involved in the project Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing (BOOST) which will last 36 months (from 2016 to 2019).

ASPU Vice-Rector Ara Yeramyan said that Armenian State Pedagogical University has extensive experience in coordinating and managing international projects.
He assured everyone that in order to boost and facilitate international practices in Armenian HEIs they would develop a national policy framework and tools through well-planned activities at institutional, regional and national levels. Also, they would create a national platform and strengthen the resources at international departments in Armenian HEIs. “BOOST/Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing/ is aimed at internalization of various processes,” Mr Yeremyan said.

Lana Karlova, Coordinator of National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia, is convinced that further internationalization of Armenian HEIs and effectiveness of the national platform will be possible thanks to cooperation of participants and effective measures.

She says it is important that the Armenian HEIs involved in the three-year project and representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science implement the provisions of the project, cooperate with partner universities from Spain, Sweden, Portugal and Estonia, bringing in their rich experience to the national project.

During the meeting, representatives of Armenian and foreign universities presented the process and objectives of the project and their main steps in the implementation of internationalization processes.

The project consortium comprises 12 members, including 5 universities from Armenia, Ministry of Education and Science, National Information

Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility as well as five European partners.