At the invitation of the Faculty of Special Education, Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) today hosted Narine Lutonyan and Hovhannes Aghavelyan, former lecturers of
the ASPU.
Narine Lutonyan lectured in the Department of Defectology of the ASPU from 1983 to 1994. She has been working in Spain since 1997 and today she heads the Spain-based “Psychological Service of State Committee for Refugees,” and “Pan-European Fund of Single Mothers” project.
Hovhannes Aghavelyan, former head of the Department of Defectology, ASPU, is a professor at the Chair of Corrective Pedagogy and Psychology at the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University.
The lecture was attended by professionals of different generations. Some of them were former students of the guest lecturers, others were their colleagues.
Welcoming the attendees, the Dean of the Faculty of Special Education, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Armine Avagyan said, “Today is a special holiday for us as we are ending up the academic year with knowledge. Our guests have left their unique mark in the field of domestic and international special education. They have greatly contributed to the professional success of students. I am proud to be their student and I am glad that my students today have the opportunity to listen to their lectures."
Narine Lutonyan expressed her gratitude for the invitation and warm welcome and for the chance to lecture at the ASPU in 20 years’ time.
While speaking about the influence of social problems on children’s emotional state Narine Lutonyan introduced the functions of the centers that she heads, as well as the tangible results achieved in the field of psychology in the course of years.
“Initially, I worked at the “Committee for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers” in the Kingdom of Spain. Later, realizing that psychological problems caused by economic and social changes are wide-spread I started to manage other programs as well," she said.
It was Narine Lutonyan who proposed to establish the aforesaid service and project in Spain.
Speaking about the “Pan-European Fund of Single Mothers” project Lutonyan noted that an attempt is made to render financial and psychological assistance to single mothers through the program.
Later on Hovhannes Aghavelyan, professor at the Chair of Corrective Pedagogy and Psychology at the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, delivered a lecture on “The System of Special Education in Russia.”
Upon the completion of the lectures, the presentees asked the guests a number of questions which led to interesting and heated discussions.
