KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Some 92 students of the Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Geography of Armenian State Pedagogical University recently held their internship at the Aghavnadzor-based Teaching and Training Center of the University. 

The six-day internship was held in different parts of Armenia - mineral hot springs in Hankavan, Marmarik reservoir, Tsaghkadzor resort, Hrazdan thermal power plant, Geological Museum of Hrazdan, Meghradzor, Sevan Peninsula and the so-called Gulls’ Island. 

The future biologists, geographers, chemists and environmentalists got acquainted with the physical and geographical conditions of Marmarik valley, the economy of Kotayk region and environmental problems of all areas, including pedestrian and vehicle routes.

Accompanied by internship supervisors, the students got familiarized with the flora and fauna of the Marmarik river valley, landscapes, the state and prospects of the use of recreational resources.

Talking to old.aspu.am, Nshan Mkrtchyan, Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology and Sustainable Development and one of the internship supervisors, stressed the importance of internship saying it helps students observe and study natural phenomena and changes in field conditions and use their theoretical knowledge in practice. 

Varduhi Hovhannisyan, a lecturer of the Department of Physical Geography, added that the internship was held in accordance with the work plan with a busy schedule. In the future, the students will present their reports on the internship. 

“It is impossible to have a clear notion of knowledge without using it in practice. The internship helped strengthen our theoretical knowledge, creating a solid foundation for our profession,” Inessa Mkrtchyan, a second-year student majoring in Geography, told old.aspu.am. She wished that students could spend more time on internship and visit more places. 

“Better to see once than hear a hundred times. It would be difficult to apply theoretical knowledge in practice without realizing its practical significance: knowledge becomes tangible in practice,” says Ashot Mkrtchyan, a first-year student specializing in Geography. He wishes that the places of visits were increased parallel to the increase in the hours of practice.

The students say that the leadership of the training center, internship supervisors, University security staff, canteen employees and transportation department did everything for the students to enjoy their visit.  

The future pedagogues are confident that they will start the new academic year armed with practical knowledge and skills and readiness to transfer them to their future pupils.

The educational practice held from 13 to 19 July was supervised by lecturers Raya Karamyan, Svetlana Mkrtchyan, Maro Kocharyan, Nshan Margaryan, Sima Dayan, Varuzhan Hovhannisyan and Varduhi Hovhannisyan.