Yerevan 0010, Republic of Arnenia Tel.: +374 10 52-66-02, +374 10 527343 URL: E-Mail: Info@Edu.Am

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia

Higher Education Institutions in Armenia

Prepared by International Center for Human Development www.ichd.org

YOUR GUIDE TO STUDYING IN ARMENIA

Your Guide to Studying in Armenia

Higher Education Institutions in Armenia Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia Government Building 3, Republic Square, Yerevan 0010, Republic of Arnenia Tel.: +374 10 52-66-02, +374 10 527343 URL: http://www.edu.am E-mail: [email protected]

Publication prepared by the International Center for Human Development 19 Sayat Nova, Yerevan 0001, Republic of Armenia Tel.: +374 10 582638 URL: http://www.ichd.org E-mail: [email protected]

Cover photo by arek_malang/Shutterstock.com. Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs included in this publication are provided by relevant institutions.

t is my extraordinary honour as the Minister Iresponsible for higher education in Armenia to host the Ninth Bologna Process Ministerial Conference together with the Fourth Bologna Policy Forum on 14-15 May, 2015 in Yerevan and this is really a momentous occasion for our

Photo by Photolur country.

Education has been a treasure of unequalled value to Armenia: in the manuscripts of Agathangelos, the fourth century historian, there is a prove that Terdat, the Armenian King gave orders to train Armenian children in the literary arts and in 405 AD Mesrop Mashtots created Armenian alphabet which became the turning point for opening schools throughout the provinces of Ar- menia. In the Middle Ages Armenia became famous for its universities.

The foundations of contemporary education were laid down during the first years of the first Armenian Republic and subsequently developed in the Soviet era which allowed the Soviet Armenia to turn into one of the most educated Republics with one hundred per cent literacy of the population. Encompass- ing pre-school, vocational, secondary vocational and higher education subsys- tems, it ensured the country’s social-economic, cultural and scientific prog-

3 ress. Education was one of the primary focuses for the small Republic which gave world-famous astrophysicists, doctors, artists, musicians.

Since its independence in 1991 Armenia has been actively reforming its higher education system.

The Ministerial events will bring together 47 EHEA delegations, the European Commission, as well as the Bologna Process consultative members and partners. As a result of the 16 years of intensive work the EHEA became a reality and proved that in this globalized and competitive environment education is the key for sustainable development of the European societies.

Firstly, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the trust and confi- dence that you placed in Armenia in 2012 by voting to be the host of the next Ministerial Conference. Secondly, I would like to express my huge appreciation for the unwavering support throughout these 3 years.

On behalf of the Government and academic community of Armenia, I’d like to extend our warmest greetings to visiting Ministers, the European Commis- sioner, Heads of delegations, delegates and all our guests. Among other issues the 2015 Yerevan Ministerial Conference will attempt to identify the best ways to reinforce the Bologna Process in future and beyond 2020 and simultaneously strengthen the dialogue within and outside the EHEA. I stand by the principle that the EHEA is a platform where the differences of national values and diverse beliefs will facilitate to face the challenges of a new age. The EHEA was and should remain the platform where minorities are integrated members of societies with equal opportunities, and last but not the least that EHEA should be accessible to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue knowledge, understanding and determi- nation to develop democratic societies that we need. Moreover, looking at the map of the EHEA there are still unrecognised territories where people are not exercising the advantages of the European education. This is an important is- sue since education should be without any discrimination and should provide solutions to the conflicts as a unique tool for the reconciliation and people to people relations.

We look forward to fruitful discussions and further cooperation. Welcome to hospitable Armenia! Armen Ashotyan Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia Contents

Studying in Armenia ...9

Armenian Higher Education Institutions ...13 Student-friendly Armenia ...14

Higher Education Institutions in Armenia ...23

Yerevan State University ...25 Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Paedagogical University ...35 National Polytechnic University of Armenia ...43 Armenian National Agrarian University ...55 Armenian State University of Economics ...65 Yerevan State Medical University ...73 National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia ...87 Gyumri State Paedagogical Institute ...95 Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Science ...101 Vanadzor Hovhannes Tumanyan State University ...107 Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture ...111 Gavar State University ...117 Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University ...123 The European Regional Academy ...131 American University of Armenia ...135 Komitas Yerevan State Conservatoire ...143 The Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema ...153 Fondation Université Française en Arménie ...161 Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts ...167 Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia ...175

Institutions enhancing academic mobility and recognition, education quality and research, and student participation ...181

National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia ...183 National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation ...185 National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility ...187 Armenian National Students’ Association ...189

Studying in Armenia

hy choose to study in Armenia? Many reasons! However, there are Wthree truly compelling reasons to attract students from all over the world, including the most ambitious and creative, to study in the universities of Armenia.

1. Access to Fundamental Knowledge and Mobility

The academic records of Armenian have actively embraced the emerging students make telling evidence – educational opportunities provided although Armenia is a developing by various mobility schemes, bilat- country facing many challenges and eral agreements and private initia- undergoing essential reforms in tives. From 2004-2013, 75 Armenian higher education sector, its students students were awarded Erasmus Mundus scholarships to study at the study with the knowledge on liberal best European universities. Com- arts and social skill acquired through pared with other Eastern Partnership their education, provided them with countries, Armenia is the second to great opportunities to successfully Ukraine in successfully preparing its meet the requirements of a demand- students for this mobility scheme.i ing global academic environment and labour market. Since 2009, more than 300 students from Armenian universities have According to international students continued their education in the from the Middle East and India cur- world’s most prestigious universi- rently studying in Armenia, the inte- ties, such as MIT, Cambridge, Har- gration of academic knowledge from vard, and ETH Zurich. Graduates Western countries, specifically from of Armenian universities manifest the US and the UK, is the most attrac- that combination of strong techni- tive feature of Armenian academic cal knowledge within chosen field of programmes. Armenian universities thus serve as a link for students from i http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/ these countries to higher educational tools/documents/repository/em_eastern_part- nerhsip_may2014.pdf institutions of excellence worldwide.

2. Academic Excellence in Music, Architecture, Medicine, Iranian and Armenian Studies, Information Technologies and Mathematics

Armenia remains one of the few Hyusnunts and Vahagn Hayrapety- countries in the world which offers an. music studies at a specialised higher education institution. Students are Armenia is a country that has suc- able to immerse themselves in a vi- cessfully moulded stone into music; it brant fusion of both classical musical has preserved this tradition through tradition, such as Rachmaninov and education and training. Armenia is Prokofiev, Khachaturyan and Baba- an incredible venue for architecture janyan, and modern jazz virtuosos, – its unique churches are renowned such as Levon Malkhasyan, Armen as having “the first national style in 10 Christian architecture”, and it has a of universities enjoy rich academic wonderful collection of pre-Christian resources and rare artefacts offer- monuments dated as early as the ing a comprehensive academic and ninth to the sixth centuries B.C.i The scholarly experience in aspects of study of Armenia’s thousands of sur- Armenian and Oriental history and viving churches all over the country culture. Moreover, they serve as an has inspired architects of religious academic platform to study and give and secular buildings both in Arme- voice to the perspectives of a much nia and abroad. Today, Architectural larger group of different ethnicities studies are available in Armenian, in the wider Caucasus area, such as in English, French and Russian – pro- Dagestan, Talysh and Tat. The jewel fessional architectural qualifications of these academic efforts is the bian- gained in higher education institu- nual multidisciplinary peer-reviewed tions in Armenia are highly valued academic journal published by Brill and well respected around the world. Publishers in collaboration with the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies Armenia is among the very few coun- (Yerevan): Iran and the Caucasus. It tries where you can get state-of-the- covers the history (ancient, medieval art medical education at only a frac- and modern), culture, anthropology, tion of what medical students pay at literature, folklore, linguistics, ar- many Western universities. The aca- chaeology, politics, and economy of demic recognition of qualifications the region. granted by Armenia’s major medical school opens doors to practising Traditionally, Armenia has been on medicine in the USA and the UK, the forefront of high-tech research, among others. development, and manufacturing. In modern Armenia strong university Matenadaran, the Mashtots Institute programmes specializing in IT and of Ancient Manuscripts, the National related disciplines ensure develop- Academy of Sciences of the Republic ment of well-educated workforce with of Armenia, the Armenian Genocide advanced technical skills. The range Museum-Institute and a plethora of academic programmes includes research and design of computer i http://armenianstudies.csufresno.edu/ systems and networks, integrated arts_of_armenia/architecture.htm 11

circuits and microelectronic devices, icists who have made significant con- development of management infor- tributions to science globally. Sergey mation and communication systems, Mergelyan, the renowned mathema- and software engineering. Recently, tician and a major contributor to the extensive cooperation between Approximation Theory, and Garik universities and the IT industry has Israelian, a contemporary astrophys- transformed Armenia into a home of icist and a leading researcher in su- highly qualified and industry-ready pernova explosions and formation of specialists. stellar mass black holes, are but two names to speak for the continuous Armenia takes pride in generations excellence of mathematics and phys- of leading mathematicians and physics programmes in Armenia.

3. Crossroads of East and West

Asia or Europe? Try googling Arme- lenge plays to Armenia’s advantage, nia! Whether you are a student or as you can enjoy both the Orient and an adventurous tourist, you would the Occident on less than 30 thou- find it quite a challenge to classify sand square kilometres. The western it. Global corporations, such as Sony ambience of the capital city, Yerevan, Corporation, IBM, Microsoft, BBC, gradually dissolves into the rustic CNN, FedEx and DHL, place Arme- simplicity and oriental hospitality of nia in Europe, while others, such as the countryside, all in less than three Apple and Amazon, consider Arme- hours’ drive away! nia in the Middle East. This chal-

Armenian Higher Education Institutions

After 1990, higher education insti- higher education. According to of- tutions in Armenia proliferated af- ficial data, there are now 22 state ter the private sector also became higher education institutions in Ar- a stakeholder in and a provider of menia, four of which are military; 33

Photo by Serouj Ourishian, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 13 private; 8 affiliates of foreign univer- (or a five-year higher education di- sities, and 5 intergovernmental. ploma) in one of three study tracks: aspirantura, doctorantura and clini- Higher education is provided in four cal residency. It is possible to get a types of institution: university, insti- Candidate of Sciences degree (an tute, academy and conservatoire. equivalent of a PhD) or Doctor of Sciences degree upon successfully After joining Bologna process in defending a dissertation and passing 2015, three-tiered structure of higher examinations. education was introduced in Arme- nia. HEIs now offer Bachelor’s, Mas- Armenian universities offer more ter’s and Doctoral degrees Five- and Bachelor’s than Master’s pro- six-year integrated higher education grammes, with the exception of Yere- programmes are also offered in med- van State University, where Master’s ical and military studies. programmes outnumber Bachelor’s. Overall, programmes offering 200 Armenia’s Doctoral education land- qualifications are currently provided scape is undergoing a smooth trans- in Armenian universities. formation, bridging traditions of academic excellence and the modern Finally, studies at any level of higher trends of research. education can be classified in four different modes: on full-time, part- Doctoral studies enrol graduate stu- time, distance, on-line and extern- dents with at least a Master’s degree ship basis.

Student-friendly Armenia

Travelling Back in Time to the Cradle of an Ancient Civilisation

As a cultural bridge which merges attracts students from both eastern traditions of East and West, Armenia and western societies who equally 14 feel at home there. You will indeed possesses a wealth of historical ar- find understanding and support from tefacts dating from the ancient state Armenian people that traditionally of Urartu. The entire country of Ar- value learning and knowledge. In this menia is an open-air museum of regard, Armenia is one of the world’s religious architecture, a delight for top-ranking countries in terms of connoisseurs of medieval culture. literacy rate. While Armenian is the Matenadaran, a unique repository of main language of communication, nearly 17,000 ancient and medieval most Armenians are fluent in Rus- manuscripts and miniatures cover- sian, and the younger generation is ing a wide array of disciplines such as becoming increasingly more profi- historiography, geography, philoso- cient in English. phy, grammar, art history, medicine and science, offers an exceptional Armenia is a modern country, but gateway to human knowledge and with a profound respect for tradi- understanding. Learning traditions tion which is reflected in the daily are crystalised in Armenia, for exam- lives of its population. It boasts an ple the medieval universities of Glad- incredibly rich cultural heritage that zor and Tatev attracted scholars from makes it an attractive destination for the region as long ago as the 13th-15th those who value wisdom, authentic- centuries, and are exceptional monu- ity and individuality. Only recently, a ments to Armenian national heri- joint archaeological expedition from tage. Today Tatev monastery, which Armenia, the US, Italy and Ireland in 14th and 15th centuries hosted one made the sensational discovery of of the most important Armenian me- the world’s oldest shoe (5,500 years dieval universities, the University of old) and winery (6,000 years old) – Tatev, is also famous for new, unique in Armenia! infrastructure – the world’s longest cable car ropeway, Tatev Wings. In the world there are over 5,000 nations, yet only about 20 have their own alphabet. Armenia is one of these, and its alphabet dates back to 405 A.D. Yerevan, founded in 782 B.C., is an older city than Rome and 15 Enjoying Warm Hospitality and Feeling Safe

When deciding to study abroad, one Armenians’ attitude to foreigners. of the first things you want to know is Simply approaching someone, greet- the standards of living in that country ing them and introducing yourself is and how a foreigner can fit into the sufficient to warrant their offering social fabric. In Armenia you are sure you any possible help – Armenians to find safety, warm hearts, delicious are very friendly and responsive to food, and ancient culture! These four the concerns of others. They passion- aces beat any other challenges you ately love to hear and tell stories, but may encounter in this country. You at the same time know how not to can enjoy Armenia’s late night street invade personal space – if you make life with family and friends without it clear that you appreciate their at- any concerns over crime. tention but would appreciate a little more distance, this will be respected. “Guests are sent by God!” This Arme- nian saying has, for millennia, shaped

You Can Find It Here!

To be a student in Armenia also tire region. You can travel across the means opportunities and adven- country and the region to explore a tures that can only be limited by your diversity of cultures and ecosystems, imagination! You can enjoy a great traditions and lifestyles, and end up choice of styles and tastes there, from with new “family” as Armenians will modern bars and nightclubs to orien- offer you homemade cheese and la- tal farmers’ markets (bazaars) and vash would insist! luxury boutique shops in Yerevan. There are also countless museums which are either free or have student discounts; these house some of the best collections of art, science and history in the country and the en- 16 Route to an Armenian University

If you have already decided to start sity admission procedures, fees and or continue your learning journey in financial aid, accommodation, visa Armenia, we recommend a road map requirements, work and residence with the following features: univer- permits, and credit transfer.

Admission Procedures

Admission procedures are simple for Curriculum vitae (CV) in either foreign applicants. An initial applica- Armenian, English, or Russian. tion package should be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sci- For Master level studies, applicants ence. The application should include need to provide copies of official aca- the following: demic records for previous degrees. To study in aspirantura, applicants Cover letter addressed to the Min- need to submit a 20-page essay on a ister of Education and Science of the research topic they intend to pursue Republic of Armenia; during the programme.

Completed application form pro- These documents can be emailed vided by the Ministry; to the ministry, or submitted either in person or by an authorised rep- Evidence of a recent health check- resentative of the applicant. After up (which can also be issued by an a review of the documents, the ap- Armenian medical institution); plicant is informed of the specific entry requirements, and has to take Copy of a current and valid travel programme-tailored exams, includ- document/passport, or birth (baptis- ing a proficiency test in the language mal) certificate; of instruction.

Four passport sized (3x4 cm) co- More details about enrolment pro- lour photographs; cedures are available at the official 17 website of the Ministry of Education and Science: www.edu.am.

Fees and Financial aid

Studying in Armenia can be de- eign students. Bilateral agreements scribed as best “value for money”, as and Erasmus Mundus programmes in many disciplines quality education offer either full or partial funding for is provided at a very moderate fee. international students. Fellowships The scale of tuition fees ranges be- and scholarships are available from tween €500-6,000. major charities, such as Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Moreover, moderately priced higher and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foun- education in Armenia could be even dation. The Armenian government more attractive because of the num- also awards scholarships, in particu- ber of scholarships available to for- lar to students of Armenian descent.

Accommodation

Several universities provide students occupancy rooms to shared flats, with single- or multiple-occupancy from small and simple one-bedroom rooms in their residence halls. As a flats to newly refurbished boutique rule these are are off campus, but are studios – all of which all are within generally located less than 15 min- easy reach of the universities and utes’ commute to and from the cen- best entertainment and attractions. tre of Yerevan (where all the universities are located). However, many students prefer to rent off campus, as Yerevan offers a great choice of flats at prices as low as €90 per month for one person. There is a variety of great value accommodation, from single- 18

Visa Requirements, Work and Residence Permits

The process of obtaining entry visa Students who need visa are issued for Armenia is very simple and clear. either single- or multiple-entry visas Easy access to the country attracts valid for one year. Once an interna- foreign students and academics. tional student is admitted to an Ar- menian university, the university Entry visa procedures vary from applies to the Consular Section of country to country. Citizens of the 28 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the EU member states and 26 Schengen Repbulic of Armenia for permission area, as well as from the USA, Argen- to enter. tina and CIS countries are exempted from the requirement of obtaining a Upon arrival, international students visa and can stay in Armenia for up receive a residence permit issued by to 180 days per year – all they need is the Passport and Visa Department of a valid passport. the Armenian Police. This is based on the admission letter provided Nationals of other countries are re- by the university. A temporary resi- quired to obtain an entry visa. Most dence permit is granted for up to one require the submission of an invita- year, and may be extended every 12 tion letter from an Armenian repre- months for no longer than a year. sentative. Nationals of China, Egypt, India and Syria can enter the country More details about visa requirements without an invitation letter. are available at the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.am.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)

Joining the Bologna Process has been Education Area objectives, frame- a big step towards the alignment of works and systems. Academic recog- developments in Armenian higher nition procedures (based on Lisbon education to the European Higher Recognition Convention), ECTS, Eu- 20 ropean Diploma Supplement, Qual- student and academic staff exchange ity Assurance system, and Notational process even further. Qualifications Frameworks are in place in Armenia, which made it pos- The National Information Center for sible for both Armenian and foreign Academic Recognition and Mobil- students to use their qualifications ity (ARMENIC) which functions as from Armenia to another country Armenia’s qualification recognition or vise versa without losing the real body in the ENIC/NARIC European value of those qualifications. They network plays an important role in can choose to study in any university conducting evaluation and recogni- of Armenia or of another country all tion of foreign qualifications pursu- across the globe. ant to the Lisbon Recognition Con- vention and other intergovernmental Involvement of Armenian universi- agreements, as well as providing ties in European partnership and information and advice about Arme- mobility programs has facilitated nian national qualifications.

Higher Education Institutions in Armenia Bachelor’s Master’s €1,000 - €2,000 WWW www.ysu.am Doctoral €

19,400 students Research facilities www.facebook.com/ysu.am

500 international students Dormitory www.youtube.com/user/ TheStateUniversity

Ա Armenian, Russian, English Erasmus+ Yerevan State University

erevan State University (YSU), according to the Webometrics ranking of Yworld universities, is one of the leading universities in the South Cauca- sus. Indeed, it is the alma mater of many Armenian universities – for almost a century YSU has provided quality education and research opportunities to its graduates, ensuring their competitiveness in local and global markets.

The university offers a wide range of study programmes at all three educational levels. Its 19 departments offer 60 Bachelor’s, 130 Master’s and 70 Doctoral programmes, in which 19,425 students are currently enrolled. YSU offers also professional training and lifelong learning opportunities through its extension programmes and courses. The high quality of teaching and re- an academic hub bringing together search is ensured by 1,300 perma- scholars from a number of disci- nent teaching staff, complemented plines, ranging from Classical Arme- by 700 guest professors and re- nian, Medieval and Oriental Studies searchers. One of the strongest as- to Modern Armenian Studies. The pects of YSU staff are the 23 full university is also a centre of excellence for teaching and researching YSU’s 19 departments offer 60 Bachelor’s, Egyptology, and oriental and Otto- 130 Master’s and 70 Doctoral academic man Studies. programmes. The YSU Centre for European members and 26 members of the Na- Studies offers an interdisciplinary tional Academy of Sciences of Arme- Master’s programme and excellent nia, which opens paths into the pres- research opportunities. The Centre tigious Armenian scientific is in a consortium with the Taras community for YSU students. YSU is Shchevchenko National University of also an attractive academic environ- Kyiv, the Belarusian State University, ment for visiting professors – cur- and the University of Political and rently instructors from the USA, Ger- Economic European Studies (Moldo- many, Poland, Bulgaria, Iran, and va), which offers a two-year regional Egypt are teaching on different pro- Master’s programme on Human grammes. Rights and Democratisation. Since the programme is taught in English, The high quality of teaching and research it provides fantastic opportunities for is ensured by almost 2000 professors and student and staff exchanges, study researchers. visits, and international internships.

YSU and its affiliated research cen- The university also offers ad- tres offer diverse learning and re- vanced research and teaching in search opportunities: mathematics and natural sciences focusing on both traditional and YSU is one of the world’s leading modern dimensions of research in centres in Armenian Studies – YSU’s these fields, such as theory of func- Institute for Armenian Studies is tions and deferential games. Aca- 26 demic research is conducted together YSU’s International Centre of Ad- with Stockholm Royal Institute and vanced Studies, established in col- Lehman College (USA). YSU has two laboration with the Joint Institute for natural science research centres and Nuclear Research in Dubna (JINR), 20 laboratories which focus on a va- is well renowned for its advanced riety of research fields. research possibilities in theoretical physics, solid state physics, chemical YSU’s Centre of Semiconduc- and biological systems, the biochem- tor Devices and Nanotechnologies istry of nitrogen-containing com- posseses exciting equipment for re- pounds, and the biophysics of sub- searchers, including gas sensors, cellular structures. The Research and converters, and porous- and nano- Modelling Laboratory of Quantum structures. Phenomena studies quantum macro- scopic phenomena of superconduc- tivity, superfluidity and micro-pro-

27 Facts & Figures

XX Yerevan State University is one of the leading universities in the South Caucasus.

XX YSU has 19 departments, which offer 60 Bachelor’s, 130 Master’s and 70 Doctoral programmes.

XX Currently 19,425 students study in YSU.

XX The tuition fee at YSU for international students ranges from EUR 1,000 to EUR 2,000.

cesses in astrophysical objects and in Information and Communication nanostructures using laser technol- Technologies offers joint research ogy. The Laboratory of Heterocyclic and academic exchange opportuni- Submitted Amino Acids focuses on ties. YSU has expanded its presence biomimetic synthesis and pharma- through online education as well, ceutical technologies. specifically in sociology, human resources management, public rela- YSU has kept pace with rapid new tions and marketing, philosophy, in- developments in science and tech- ternational relations, and English. A nology, and subsequent trends of the highlight in this regard is YSU’s Ar- labour market through the introduc- menian Virtual College. tion of competitive IT programmes. Its Information Technologies Edu- The Institute for Armenian Studies, cation and Research Centre offers a nine research centres and 24 re- joint Master’s degree in visual com- search laboratories ensure quality re- puting in conjunction with Rostok search and collaborative projects, University (Germany). The Arme- which are frequently financed nian-Indian Centre for Excellence through local and international 28 grants. About 100 research grants ties in Tsakhkadzor, Dilijan, Hanka- have been awarded to YSU research van and Byurakan. centres and staff by the Armenian government and the international The university makes its research development community and institu- available to the larger academic com- tions, such as NATO SFP, ANSEF, munity and the general public NFSAT-CRDF, ISTC, the Calouste through a number of different publi- Gulbenkian Foundation, the Volk- cations, such as the Physics and swagen Foundation, DAAD, OSI, and Mathematics (in English), Chemis- Russky Mir. try and Biology, Geology and Geog- raphy series, and bulletins in hu- In 2010-2012, YSU organised 46 national manities and social sciences, such as and 39 thematic conferences for students to Jurisprudence, Philology, Interna- promote their involvement in academia. tional Relations, Political Science, Armenian Studies, Philosophy, Psy- YSU ensures student involvement in chology, Sociology, and Economics. research. Students’ Scientific Societ- Over 2,000 scientific papers and 300 ies promote student participation in monographs, textbooks and manuals international research projects and were published by YSU in 2012 alone, conferences. In 2010-2012, YSU or- some of which through its own pub- ganised 46 national and 39 thematic lishing house, a unique facility for conferences for students to promote higher educational institutions in Ar- their involvement in academia. Cur- menia. rently, every fourth graduate or Doc- toral student is involved in YSU re- Over 2,000 scientific papers and 300 search. In addition, 15 grants have monographs, textbooks and manuals were been awarded to the YSU young published by YSU in 2012 alone. researchers. YSU’s well-equipped laboratories are open to students for One of the strongest assets of the experimental research in biology, university is its library, which is also physics and chemistry. In addition, open to the public. The YSU library YSU offers hands-on workshops and is one of the best-equipped and eas- training opportunities for students ily navigated university libraries in and young staff at its satellite facili- the region, housing over 2 million 29 items in its combined collections. Science Library. Free Wi-Fi is avail- The eight reading halls can serve up able in all YSU buildings. to 1,600 readers at any one time. YSU’s library is a member of inter- Responding to the growing trend of national library networks, including internationalisation of higher educa- LIBER and IFLA, and offers access to tion, the university now cooperates various scientific databases and aca- with over 240 higher education insti- demic information services, such as tutions and research centres in more Springer, EBSCO, Directory of Open than 50 countries, including the Uni- Access Journals, Virtual Reading versity of California (USA), M.V. Lo- Hall of Dissertations of Russian State monosov State University in Moscow Library, and the Armenian Virtual (Russia), Bologna University (Italy), 30 the University of Siegen (Germany), Over a quarter of YSU staff regularly the National Institute of Eastern participate in international academic Languages and Cultures (France), events and projects. Montpellier University (France), the University of Antwerp (Belgium), Ar- YSU is one of the main hosts of the istotle University of Thessaloniki international academic community (Greece), the University of Warsaw ( in Armenia. For example, YSU has Poland), and the University of Cairo hosted: (Egypt). YSU also participates actively in European exchange and univer- 24th Annual Conference of sity cooperation programmes and is EURASHE on qualifications for the member of many networks and asso- labour market in 2014; ciations, such as Erasmus Mundus, the Network of CIS Universities, the Annual meeting of the Armenian International Association of Univer- Economic Association in 2014 (joint- sities, the Eurasian Universities As- ly with two other partner universi- sociation, and the Black Sea Univer- ties); sities Network. International Conference “The YSU now cooperates with over 240 higher Middle East: Language, Literature education institutions and research centres in and History” in 2012; more than 50 countries. International Advanced School As a leading academic centre, the “Frontiers in Optics and Photonics” university strives to be an important in 2012; player in international academic exchange, participating in the Erasmus 39th World Congress of the In- Mundus, ALRAKIS, BACIS, IANUS, ternational Institute of Sociology in WEBB and ELECTRA projects. These 2009. initiatives ensure that students, professors and administrative staff from The university actively cooperates EU member states and Armenia have with partner institutions within the the opportunity to visit each other framework of various initiatives of on a professional or academic basis. the Tempus programme, and annu- 31 ally supports the organisation of con- History programmes. Studying at ferences and workshops on various YSU is an excellent investment, and themes. Staff, students and experts tuition fees are moderate compared from partner countries extensively with the international average. Tu- contribute to these events. ition fees at YSU for international students range from €1,000-2,000, YSU is one of the largest hosts of the depending on the programme. Par- international academic community in Armenia. tial scholarships are offered by Arme- nian Diaspora charities. YSU strongly encourages and promotes student participation in aca- Throughout its history, 7,600 students demic exchange, and warmly wel- from 80 countries have been enrolled comes international students. in different programmes at YSU. Throughout its history, 7,600 students from 80 countries have been The YSU International Cooperation enrolled in different programmes at Office (ICO) offers support to inter- YSU. At the moment over 500 for- national students on admission poli- eign students, including 50 Doctoral cies, procedures, and other related students, are studying at YSU. State issues. YSU’s International Educa- scolarships are available to students tion Centre also offers preparatory of Armenian descent from different courses to international students and parts of the world, while the Erasmus applicants. The university offers lim- Mundus programme makes YSU ed- ited accommodation in its dormitory; ucation available to European stu- however, ICO supports international dents. Over the last five years efforts students to find suitable accommo- to attract more foreign students have dation in the city. paid off, for example, studying Rus- sian at YSU is a growing tendency The YSU Alumni and Career Cen- among students from China. Stu- tre serves as a bridge for graduates dents from Iran are attracted to from education to the labour market. YSU’s oriental studies, psychology The centre facilitates internship pro- and sciences. Students from Arme- grammes with leading employers in nian communities worldwide tend to a variety of industries, such as Syn- enrol in Armenian Language and opsis-Armenia, Vivacell, and Orange 32 Armenia, and provides students with hands-on information about career opportunities. 

The program offered jointly by YSU and Synopsys Armenia gives you sufficient experience for a smooth transition from theoretical knowledge to a challenging practice. You get acquainted with the best practices in the field and meet internationally acclaimed experts. You experience the advantages of a creative learning environment “and teamwork. Eventually, you become more competitive in the labour market and with a right ambition, you are guaranteed a stable job both locally and internationally”.

Aram Avetisyan Integral Circuits Design (VLSI) Master’s Programme, Department of Radiophysics Memory compiler engineer, Synopsys Armenia 33 Bachelor’s Master’s €500 - €1,000 WWW www.armspu.am Doctoral €

11,000 students Research facilities www.facebook.com/ASPUhome

200 international students Erasmus+ www.youtube.com/user/armenianspu

Ա Armenian, English Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Paedagogical University

hachatur Abovyan Armenian State Paedagogical University (ASPU) Kaims to train highly skilled teachers who share a set of core values that include a commitment to excellence in education, and an understanding of the strengths and needs of a diverse student population. The university takes an approach to teaching and learning that is sensitive to family, community, and the political and national contexts of education. Its approach is grounded in the study of subject matter that enables high intellectual, academic and social standards by creating equitable and successful schools and classrooms. Its goal is to prepare graduates to meet both the practical and intellectual challenges of teaching and to revitalise the profession by equipping educators with the skills for tomorrow’s schools. Facts & Figures

XX ASPU offers 48 Bachelor’s, 45 Master’s and 7 Doctoral education programmes.

XX About 11,000 students are enrolled in ASPU.

XX Tuition fees range from €500-1,000, depending on the programme.

ASPU offers 48 Bachelor’s, 45 Mas- are available online. Emphasising the ter’s and 7 Doctoral programmes. Its importance of lifelong learning, eleven departments and seven in- ASPU promotes different webinars terdepartmental chairs enrol about and other e-learning tools. To ensure 11,000 students, who study to obtain the high quality of teaching the uni- teaching qualifications in pre-school versity has recruited renowned aca- and inclusive education, humanities demics, including 14 members of the and social sciences, life and formal National Academy of Sciences of the sciences, natural sciences and fine Republic of Armenia. arts, culture studies, as well as a degree in education management. ASPU provides internship opportunities for students in educational institutions, summer Desired outcomes for graduates in- schools and various local and international clude an understanding of teaching organisations active in children’s rights. as intellectual work and as a caring profession; a depth of content knowl- The university provides internship edge and a repertoire of powerful opportunities for students in educa- paedagogical practices. The main tional institutions, summer schools language of instruction is Armenian, and various local and international but the Master’s programme in Edu- organisations active in children’s cation Management is also offered in rights. It emphasises peer education English; the latter is also attractive to and, thus, engages Master’s students international students. Some courses in various mentoring and intern- 36 ship schemes which are intended for 2015. The Centre focuses on the ef- Bachelors. fectiveness of chess and tools to assess the educational progress and Since 2011, chess has become part of needs for continuous improvement the compulsory primary school cur- of chess teaching in schools. riculum. To conduct more in-depth research on the role of chess in the ASPU makes its research facilities general education curriculum, the available to students interested in university opened the Centre for Ed- advanced studies in teaching, such as ucational Research in Chess in early the School of Armenian and World

37 History, History Studies and Source fundamental and applied research in Criticism; the School of Logic and materials science and process, and Philosophy of Science; the School of Laboratoire Matériaux Optiques, Studies in Arts, Culture Studies, Ar- Photonique et Systèmes (Metz, menian Miniature, Theory of Arme- France). nian and Medieval Art; the School of Metaphilosophy, Logic and Proofs. ASPU library offers 4 reading halls and three There are also seven research labora- computer labs in all campus buildings. tories. The Laboratory of Quantum Electronics and New Materials of In- ASPU library offers 4 reading halls tegrated Optics and the Laboratory and three computer labs in all cam- of Nonlinear Optical, Laser and Pho- pus buildings. The university pro- tonic Crystals spearheads ASPU re- vides access to various e-journals search in natural science in close co- and online information databases. operation with Jean Lamour Institute The university publishes its research (Nancy, France), a laboratory for in several journals, such as Jour- 38 nal of Armenian Studies, Research ASPU is an active host of internation- Proceedings, Journal of Pedagogy al academic events in Armenia; each and Psychology, Journal of Special year over 20 conferences, exhibi- Needs Education and Rehabilitation tions, and festivals are held at the Psychology, and Wisdom. Annually, university. For example, ASPU host- staff and students publish over 100 ed the international conference research papers in local and interna- Chess at School, co-organised with tional peer-reviewed academic jour- the World Chess Federation (FIDE) nals. and Chess Academy of Armenia in 2014. The ASPU Laboratory of Psy- The university collaborates with over chology organised the Second and 70 academic and research institu- Fifth South Caucasus Academic Con- tions all over the world, and partici- gresses of Psychologists. pates in Tempus projects (ARMEN- QA, ARMAZEG, MATH-GEAR, ASPU is an active host of international ESPAQ, ASPIRE, MAHATMA). Aca- academic events in Armenia; each year over demic exchange and mobility of stu- 20 conferences, exhibitions, and festivals are dents and staff is ensured through held at the university. cooperation with leading universities in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Bel- ASPU has an entertaining and in- gium, France, Finland and Russia. tense student life and has its own ASPU is also a member of several ac- radio channel – RadioFama, mostly ademic networks, such as the Euro- produced by students and broadcast pean University Association, the As- online at www.radiofama.am. Par- sociation of Rectors of Paedagogical ticipation of students is also encour- Universities in Europe, and the Fran- aged through quotas in government- cophone University Association funded research. The university (Agence universitaire de la Fran- partially covers expenses of students’ cophonie). participation in international academic events. The university collaborates with over 70 academic and research institutions all over the The university enrols over 200 in- world, and participates in Tempus projects. ternational students, mostly of Ar- menian descent. Tuition fees range 39 from €500-1,000, depending on the residence permits, and accommoda- programme. Full and partial schol- tion. Preparation courses are also arships are available from the gov- available for international students. ernment, private businesses and ASPU’s University-Employer Coop- philanthropic organisations. ASPU’s eration Centre provides transition International Cooperation Office of- advice to students and graduates on fers support to international students career paths and market demand.  on admission procedures, visa and

I think Armenia’s experience of teaching chess in schools is a great example for the whole world”. Erland Aas, Scanpix, File “ Magnus Carlsen 40

Bachelor’s Master’s €500 - €1,500 Erasmus+ Doctoral €

10,000 students Research facilities WWW seua.wordpress.com

150 international students Dormitory goo.gl/RTzm1E

Ա Armenian, English National Polytechnic University of Armenia

he National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) is the largest Ttechnical higher education institution offering a broad spectrum of study programmes at all three educational levels and awarding engineering degrees in various disciplines. The university delivers a comprehensive, 21st-century learning experience to help students develop the foundational skills needed to design, build, and manage different industries, along with career skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.

NPUA offers 29 Bachelor’s and 32 Master’s and Doctoral programmes in engineering and technology. A choice of specialisation at NPUA ranges from industrial, civil and environmental engineering to information and communication technologies (IT), computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/ CAM), semiconductor physics, and microelectronics. The university is a hub for technological studies in ther- EDA tools and academic applications, such as different mal, electric and nuclear energy, the integrated circuits, instructional design models and drivers chemical, food, biological and bio- developed by the Microelectronic Circuits and Systems Chair, medical industries, metallurgy, ma- a member of the Synopsys Worldwide University, are currently chinery and machine-tool industries, utilised by hundreds of universities worldwide. The top list material science, extraction, textile includes: and printing, applied mechanics, and electromechanics. NPUA’s IT-related • Stanford • Arizona State • Vienna University of Technology programmes are particularly attrac- University; University; of Technology (Japan); tive to international students. • University of • Purdue (Austria); • Seoul National California, University; • University of University (South The university is the flagship of Ar- • Berkeley; • Oregon State Bologna (Italy); Korea); menia’s IT education and profession- • University of University, USA; • University of • Shanghai al development. The key to this Massachusetts; • Karlsruhe Southampton University unique success is NPUA’s extensive • University of Institute of (UK); (China); collaboration with leading corpora- Rochester; Technology • National and • Indian Institute of tions in the industry. For example, • Ohio State and Technische Kapodistrian Technology Delhi the university’s Microelectronic Cir- University; Universität University of (India). cuits and Systems Chair is a member • Syracuse München in Athens (Greece); of Synopsys Worldwide University, University; Germany; • Tokyo University which provides industry-leading electronic design automation (EDA) Among the companies that use the inventory of NPUA tools and tools and resources for teaching and applications are: academic research. This partnership allows students to gain hands-on ex- • Intel, • Chartered perience in a state-of-the-art learn- • Microsoft, Semiconductor ing and research environment, and • Cisco Systems, Manufacturing. enables graduates to immediately in- • Hewlett-Packard, novate in the fast-paced world of • Samsung semiconductor technology. Electronics, • Motorola, Nvidia, The university is the flagship of Armenia’s IT • Infineon education and professional development. Technologies, • LSI, 44 More than 10,000 students are en- (GNSS), jointly with Bauman Mos- rolled in four campuses in Yerevan, cow State Technical University. Gyumri, Vanadzor and Kapan. NPUA programmes are offered in Armenian NPUA’s Continuous Education Centre and English by staff with extensive offers over 60 distance learning certificate academic and practitioner experi- technological courses. ence. Every tenth staff member has experience of teaching in English, NPUA has quickly adopted innova- and many have taught courses tive educational trends to widen the abroad. The university also invests in availability of its education resources the continuous professional develop- globally. Therefore, it regularly offers ment of young academic staff, pro- distance learning courses in collabo- viding them with opportunities to ration with leading technical univer- engage in curriculum development, sities and their staff, such as: explore alternative teaching methodologies, expand their knowledge in “Modelling and simulations of the respective fields of study, and many body physics in nanoclusters gather new teaching materials and and nanomaterials” with California resources. State University in Los Angeles;

NPUA is one of the major providers of lifelong “Electrodeposition of Platinum- learning in IT. Iridium Coatings and Nanowires for Neurostimulating Applications” with NPUA is one of the major providers the University of Southern Califor- of lifelong learning in IT. Its Continu- nia; ous Education Centre (CEC) provides resources and infrastructure to sup- “L1 Adaptive Control and Its port professionals and students in Transition to Practice” with the Uni- order to develop a qualified work- versity of Illinois; force, maintain its expertise, and give it access to the latest tools and tech- “On The Kinetic, Kinetostatic and nologies. CEC offers over 60 distance Dynamic Properties of Parallel Ma- learning certificate courses, such as nipulators in the Presence of Singu- “Global Navigation Satellite System” 45 larity” with the National Institute of and Gyumri, which offer the Cisco Applied Sciences of Rennes, France. Certified Network Associate (CCNA) course. Here students and the wider CEC also hosts the Microsoft IT community can gain the skills needed Academy, which provides industry- to build, design, and maintain com- leading technological skills to help puter networks and improve their ca- bridge the skills gap. With this pro- reer prospects, while also filling the gramme, NPUA students and staff global demand for networking pro- receive digital curriculum and certifi- fessionals. The university promotes cations in fundamental skills critical professional education and devel- for success in the technologically opment in information security and evolving world. Annually, about 500 enhances relevant knowledge and students of NPUA and other Arme- skills. It also operates the Kaspersky nian universities graduate from the Learning and Certification Centre. Academy and start successful careers in relevant industries. CEC offers Mi- NPUA is a regional centre which cel- crosoft-certified professional devel- ebrates the integration of IT into ar- opment and training for civil servants chitecture, engineering, construc- and the lead mobile operator in Ar- tion, manufacturing, media, and menia, VivaCell-MTS. Utilising its entertainment industries. It operates competitive advantage as a leader in the certified Autodesk Education IT education, NPUA hosts the Micro- Centre in Armenia, which offers pro- soft Innovation Centre, which sup- grammes in Autodesk flagship soft- ports IT start-ups, provides innova- ware. tive new products and services, and helps to bring those products and NPUA operates the certified Autodesk services to market. Education Centre in Armenia.

NPUA’s Continuous Education Centre hosts the All these initiatives position the uni- Microsoft IT Academy, versity as a champion of innovation in learning and technology in the en- Other excellent learning facility of- tire South Caucasus. To trigger fur- fered is the Cisco Networking Acad- ther interdisciplinary research, the emy on NPUA campuses in Yerevan university operates an Innovation 46 Centre as a common space for spear- with modern curricula and learning heading research in IT and engineer- resources in electronics, mechanics ing. One of its most effective facilities and programming, these facilities is the Armenian National Engineer- boost applied research at NPUA. This ing Laboratories (ANEL), which has serves as a unique incubation envi- centres in Yerevan and on regional ronment for Armenia’s industry and campuses. In ANEL’s 30 state-of- research institutes, offering quick the-art laboratories, equipped with and cost-effective solutions to techni- cutting edge engineering hardware cal and academic challenges. and software, students are involved in hands-on, project-based learning The Armenian National Engineering and research. ANEL offers a unique Laboratories is a NPUA facility, which offers chance to undertake LabVIEW 30 state-of-the-art laboratories, equipped courses certified by the National In- with cutting edge engineering hardware and struments Corporation (NI), a US- software. based transnational producer of au- tomated test equipment and virtual The NPUA Innovation Centre also instrumentation software. Paired hosts the first regional Mobile Appli- 47 Facts & Figures

XX The National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) is the largest technical higher education institution.

XX NPUA offers 29 Bachelor’s and 32 Master’s and Doctoral programmes in engineering and technology.

XX More than 10,000 students are enrolled in NPUA.

XX Tuition fees at NPUA for international students range from €500-1500, depending on the programme.

cation Laboratory for Eastern Eu- cloud computing laboratories also rope, South Caucasus, and Central complement NPUA’s education and Asia (mLab ECA), a focal point for research facilities. increasing the regional competitiveness of innovative enterprises work- NPUA’s research in other engineering in mobile content and app cre- ing disciplines is conducted in 20 ation. Supplied with state-of-the-art specialised research laboratories through more than 30 research proj- The NPUA Innovation Centre also hosts the ects funded by the Armenian govern- first regional Mobile Application Laboratory for ment and the international academic Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central and development communities. Asia. These laboratories are significant contributors to applied engineering equipment, mLab offers technical research and development. For ex- training and workshops, connecting ample, the NPUA Laboratory of Au- developers and entrepreneurs with tomated Systems and Simulation has potential investors, academic ex- developed a number of algorithms perts, and public sector leaders. The underlying the Armenian National Innovation Centre’s big data and GRID Initiative. This is a grid infra- 48 structure which offers the flexible NPUA research laboratories are fre- organisation of geographically dis- quent contributors to acclaimed aca- tributed computing resources and demic journals, such as the Journal co-ordinately shares them with col- of Polymer Science Part B (Polymer laborating virtual teams. The Labo- Physics), Macromolecular Reaction ratory of Measurements Technol- Engineering, Journal of Nanomate- ogy has developed and introduced rials, Chemical Engineering Jour- SEUA-80, a digital hygrometer for nal, Review Journal of Chemistry, wood (i.e. a wood moisture meter). Natural Science, Journal of Friction The Laboratory of Semiconductor and Wear, Materials Science and Photoelectrical Devices is introduc- Engineering, Applied Optics, and ing innovative photovoltaic systems NATO Science for Peace and Securi- jointly with Industrial Technologies ty Series A: Chemistry and Biology. Co., a leading engineering design and Overall, NPUA staff and students an- product development company in nually publish more than 850 articles Armenia with an international pres- in local and international peer-re- ence. Researchers at the Laboratory viewed academic journals and are of Chemical Technologies and Poly- granted about 10 patents. mer Nanocomposites have authored two chapters of the Encyclopedia of NPUA’s research in other engineering Polymer Composites: Properties, disciplines is conducted in 20 specialised Performance and Applications, a key research laboratories through more than 30 resource for engineers and research- research projects. ers. The Laboratory of Tribology is a contributor to the Springer Ency- NPUA publishes its own peer-re- clopedia of Tribology, an authorita- viewed trilingual journal, Proceed- tive and comprehensive reference ings of State Engineering University covering all major aspects of tribol- of Armenia (Polytechnic) in Arme- ogy science and engineering relevant nian, Russian and English. Its five to researchers across all engineering series include: industries and related scientific disciplines. Mechanics, machine science, machine building;

49 Electrical engineering, energetics; cated in picturesque rustic environ- ments in the heart of the country. Metallurgy, material science, mining engineering; Keeping up with the globalising higher education landscape, NPUA has Information technologies, elec- extended its geographical reach for tronics, radio engineering; collaboration. The university actively partners with over 60 technical uni- Chemical and environmental versities around the world, such as technologies. California State Polytechnic Univer- sity (Cal Poly Pomona) and Gram- The Proceedings of the National bling State University in the USA, the Academy of Sciences and the State University of Stuttgart, Heilbronn Engineering University of Armenia. University, Darmstadt University of Series of Technical Sciences, a joint Technology (TU Darmstadt), and the publication of two leading Armenian University of Siegen in Germany, institutions, consolidates research in Brunel University London and Mid- natural sciences and engineering. dlesex University in the UK, and NPUA also publishes the trilingual many leading technical schools in journal Mathematics in University France, Italy, Sweden, Russia, on issues and methods of teaching Greece, China, the Czech Republic, mathematics in both secondary and Ukraine, Romania, and Iran. tertiary education. NPUA library, with its seven reading halls NPUA publishes its own peer-reviewed journal and computer and multi-media labs, can in Armenian, Russian and English. accommodate over 300 users.

The university offers excellent fa- NPUA is an active member of inter- cilities to support vibrant academic national academic schemes, such as life of its students and staff. NPUA Erasmus Mundus (TEMPO, BACKIS library, with its seven reading halls and ACTIVE) and nine Tempus proj- and computer and multi-media labs, ects (La MANCHE, INARM, ATHE- can accommodate over 300 users. Its NA, ARARAT, HEN-GEAR, ICo-op, three recreational residences are lo- DesIRE, MathGeAr, and PICASA). 50 These projects are the primary trig- Conference on Concentrating Photo- gers for the facilitation of academic voltaic Systems; International Green exchange and mobility among NPUA Energy Conference; International students and staff – every third staff Conference on High Power Impulse member is involved in a mobility Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS); project each year. European Solid Mechanics Con- ference; Biennial Conference on The university is a full member of dif- Engineering Systems Design and ferent academic networks supporting Analysis; European Conference on the international exchange of re- NanoFilms; Global Congress on Na- searchers and engineers from a wide noEngineering for Medicine and Bi- range of disciplines related to me- ology; International Conference on chanical engineering, such as the Eu- Multifunctional, Hybrid and Nano- ropean University Association materials; International Conference (EUA), the Black Sea Universities on Wear of Materials; and EuroBrake Network (BSUN), the International International Conference. Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science The university is a recognised host to (IFToMM), the Technical Consor- the global technical academic com- tium of CIS Network University, and munity. The International Confer- Russia’s Association of Technical ence on the Development of Technol- Universities. ogies and Information Control of Environment Protection in Adminis- The university is a full member of different trative Areas is one of the regular in- academic networks supporting the ternational academic events that international exchange of researchers and brings together representatives from engineers from a wide range of disciplines. more than 30 countries. NPUA is a centre of excellence for the exchange NPUA staff contribute to such regu- of new knowledge and skills in the lar international academic events as use of civil nuclear power technolo- European Photovoltaic Solar Energy gies, as well as safety and emergency Conference and Exhibition; World response, across the entire region Conference on Photovoltaic Energy and cooperates with leading univer- Conversion and the International sities and public institutions around 51 the world. In particular, NPUA works NPUA strongly encourages the in- with the US Department of Energy, volvement of young researchers in its National Nuclear Security Admin- the academic life of the university. istration, and the International To hone their skills further, it orga- Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). nises summer schools on different NPUA is also the organiser of the an- disciplines ranging from engineering nual International Conference on to innovation and entrepreneurship. Machine-building Technologies and To facilitate the participation of stu- Automation Equipment. dents and young staff in international academic cooperation, the university NPUA is a centre of excellence for the offers full or partial funding. exchange of new knowledge and skills in the use of civil nuclear power technologies, as well The university is home to over 150 as safety and emergency response, across the foreign students from Syria, Georgia, entire region. Iran, India, Russia, Lebanon, Nepal, and Lithuania. Tuition fees at NPUA 52 for international students range from get industry. NPUA has cooperation €500-1500, depending on the pro- agreements with over 100 compa- gramme. Partial merit-based schol- nies, ranging from bottling compa- arships are offered by the university nies, chemical plants, IT enterprises and Armenian Diaspora charities. and commercial banks, which pro- Scholarships are available to Syrian vides NPUA students with excellent Armenians. internship opportunities.

NPUA strongly encourages the involvement of The most successful endeavour of young researchers in the academic life of the the university in bridging education university. and the market is its collaboration with Synopsys Armenia: over 55% NPUA’s Department for Interna- of graduates of the joint programme tional Students (DIS) offers support are employed in this company, and to international students regarding about 40% of the senior engineering admission policies and procedures, staff of the company is comprised of assistance with visa and residence NPUA graduates. Other graduates of permits, travel logistics, and dormi- this joint programme have success- tory accommodation. DIS also offers fully built careers in other flagship preparatory courses for foreign stu- companies in the industry, such as dents. Mentor Graphics, Sonix, and Nation- al Instruments. As a focal point for graduates and alumni, NPUA’s Career Centre con- The Alumni Association brings to- tinuously consolidates engineering gether thousands of university job openings in the market and pro- alumni who provide external reviews vides information on relevant va- of academic programmes to better cancies. It regularly brings together match labour market demands. The students, alumni and employers in Los Angeles branch of the association various job fairs that often feature is particularly active in mobilising more than 50 companies in the tar- support for its alma mater. 

53 Bachelor’s Master’s €2,000 WWW www.anau.am Doctoral €

12,000 students Research facilities goo.gl/NawLC7

30 international students Dormitory www.youtube.com/user/ASAUTV

Ա Armenian, English Erasmus+ Armenian National Agrarian University

he Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) has provided profes- Tsional education and conducted research in agricultural sciences since 1930. Its seven departments offer 36 Bachelor’s, 39 Master’s and 29 Doctoral programmes, in which over 12,000 students are currently enrolled. The Mas- ter’s programmes offered by the Departments of Agronomy, Foodstuff Tech- nologies, Hydro Melioration, Land Management and Land Cadastre, Agricul- ture Mechanization and Automobile Transportation, Veterinary Medicine and Sanitary Expertize, Agribusiness and Marketing, and Economics are particularly attractive to international students. ANAU also offers vocational education and training through its colleges in Yerevan and Gyumri.

The university regularly invites acclaimed foreign professors and guest speakers to teach on the different programmes. The English-language Agribusiness and Marketing Bachelor’s and Mas- aeroponics, i.e. new tools for plant ter’s programmes offered by ANAU’s breeding and rapid propagation for Armenian-American Agribusiness effective and healthier crop produc- Training Center jointly with Texas tion. The Department of Food Secu- A&M University (USA) are some of rity and Biotechnology at the Re- the most competitive academic pro- search Institute of Foodstuff grammes in the region. ANAU also Technologies, Food Security and Bio- offers a Master’s programme and in- technology actively collaborates with ternational internship in agrarian research institutes in the USA, management jointly with Weihen- France, Japan, Canada, the UK, and stephan-Triesdorf University of Ap- Russia through 14 international re- plied Sciences (Germany) in both the search grants. The department’s German and Armenian languages. biotest research programme on en- terobacteriaceae differentiation of- ANAU’s seven departments offer 36 fers cutting-edge instruments for Bachelor’s, 39 Master’s and 29 Doctoral food diagnosis, and probiotic re- academic programmes. search in the laboratory is spear- headed in collaboration with the ANAU is home to extensive multidis- Lawrence Berkeley National Labora- ciplinary research and innovation tory (USA). Genetic material of over pursued in two research institutes, 4,000 plants and their varieties, in- four agricultural science research cluding 2,250 wild plants, are pre- centres, and five laboratories. For ex- served in the gene biorepository of ample, the Research Institute of Ag- ANAU’s Research Laboratory of riculture Mechanisation, Electrifica- Plants’ Gene Pool and Selection. The tion and Transportation has designed Research Laboratory of Pesticides a highly efficient vineyard cultivation and Plant Protection focuses on the machine for large areas, and has al- problems of synthesis of the deriva- ready stirred up agribusiness interest tives of heterocycles, and explores from abroad. The Agrobiotechnology the potential for environmentally Research Centre, jointly with the friendly pesticides in collaboration Russian Agricultural Academy, pro- with California Institute of Molecular vides a state-of-the-art applied re- Medicine (USA) and Masaryk Uni- search facility for biotechnology and versity (Czech Republic). ANAU’s 56 “Agrogitaspyur” department pro- in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. vides evidence-based consultancy to Inter-university cooperation also of- farmers and agribusinesses across fers ANAU students the opportunity Armenia and the wider South Cauca- to continue their education in three sus region. leading agricultural science universities in Russia: the Russian State Genetic material of over 4,000 plants and Agrarian University (Timiryazev their varieties, including 2,250 wild plants, are Agricultural Academy in Moscow), preserved in the gene biorepository of ANAU’s Goryachkin State Agricultural Uni- Research Laboratory. versity (in Moscow) and Kuban State Agrarian University. Students have the choice to undertake their selected programmes in the ANAU’s Agricultural Experiment Sta- three different branches of ANAU: tion is an 1,150-hectare facility which Vanadzor, Sisian and Stepanakert conducts valuable research driven by

57 real-world problems. The station is research through a number of special situated in Balahovit and Voskehat, schemes. not far from Yerevan. This helps researchers and students to develop The university presents its achieve- and transfer agricultural technology ments in education, research and in- to industry. ANAU is also a recipient novation to the international agricul- of numerous research grants provid- tural science community through the ed by the Armenian government and quarterly Bulletin of the Armenian the international development com- National Agrarian University, pub- munity. ANAU actively promotes lished in English and Russian. Since student involvement in agricultural 2003, ANAU has been the co-pub- lisher of the international peer-re- 58 viewed journal Annals of Agrarian Access to Global Online Research in Science jointly with with the Vienna Agriculture (AGORA), International University of Natural Resources and System for Agricultural Science and Life Sciences (Austria), the European Technology (AGRIS), arXiv, Directo- Soil Bureau Network (Italy), the Bu- ry of Open Access Journals, Virtual reau of Soil Evaluation (Germany), Reading Hall of Dissertations of Rus- the V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Insti- sian State Library, Armenian Virtual tute (Russia), the Institute of Soil Science Library, U.S. Patent and Science MSU-RAS (Russia), the Na- Trademark Office (USPTO) Full-Text tional University of Life and Envi- and Image Database, Paediatric Neu- ronmental Sciences of Ukraine, Azer- rology Briefs, Taylor & Francis On- baijan State Agricultural University, line, Wiley-Blackwell, VTI Agricul- and the Agricultural University of ture and Forestry Research Georgia. Over 500 academic papers (Landbauforschung), and Agrarian were published by ANAU researchers Science (Аграрная наука). The li- in 2014. brary also hosts the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization ANAU’s Agricultural Experiment Station is an Information Centre. 1,150-hectare facility which conducts valuable research driven by real-world problems. ANAU’s library boasts over half a million items in the combined collections and can host ANAU’s library offers a unique col- over 6,500 guests in four reading halls, two lection of literature on agriculture computer labs and three study rooms. science. It boasts over half a million items in the combined collections The university cooperates with over and can host over 6,500 guests in 55 higher education institutions and four reading halls, two computer labs research centres, including the Uni- and three study rooms. ANAU’s li- versity of Agricultural Sciences of brary is a member of national and in- Sweden, the University of Kassel ternational library networks, which (Germany), the Agricultural Re- means that it can offer access to over search Centre (Estonia), the National 35 professional journals, various sci- Agricultural Research Foundation entific databases, academic informa- (NAGREF), the International Sci- tion services and e-prints, such as ence and Technology Centre (ISTC), 59 Facts & Figures

XX ANAU’s seven departments offer 36 Bachelor’s, 39 Master’s and 29 Doctoral programmes.

XX Currently 12,000 students study in ANAU.

XX The tuition fee at ANAU for international students is on average EUR 2,000.

XX ANAU Career and Job Consultancy Centre facilitates internship programmes in over 200 farms and agricultural industries across Armenia and Georgia.

the International Centre for Agricul- tiatives offer extensive mobility op- tural Research in Dry Areas (ICAR- portunities to students and faculty DA), the International Plant Genetic members. ANAU strongly advocates Resources Institute (IPGRI), the In- for student participation in these ternational Food Policy Research In- schemes by promoting these projects stitute (IFPRI), the International through various media and networks. Centre for Development-oriented Over 65 ANAU students and 105 fac- Research in Agriculture (ICRA), and ulty staff have participated in these NATO. projects over the past three years. Specific exchange opportunities for The university cooperates with over 55 higher students are available in Portugal, education institutions and research centres. the UK and the USA.

The university is actively involved ANAU hosts annual international in international academic exchange conferences on agricultural science. through Erasmus Mundus EFFORT, Recent conferences have focused on EMBER and ELECTRA, as well as food safety, biodiversity, organic Tempus MAPB projects. These ini- farming and mechanised agriculture. 60 ANAU also organises annual student for international students are, on av- conferences, thus boosting the par- erage, €2,000. Partial scholarships ticipation of innovative young minds are available to students. in academic research. Faculty staff, students and experts from partner A state quota is available to students of institutions from around the world Armenian descent worldwide. extensively contribute to these events. In addition, ANAU is well The International Student Office of- represented at the European Confer- fers advice and support to interna- ence on X-Ray Spectrometry (Italy) tional students on various issues, and the American Society for Micro- ranging from residence permits to biology (ASM) conferences, as well as certified translation. ANAU offers in other international academic fora. dormitory accommodation, as well as language courses in Armenian, Eng- ANAU hosts annual international conferences lish, German and French. on agricultural science. The ANAU Career and Job Consul- ANAU consistently promotes student tancy Centre serves as a hub con- participation in academic exchange. necting employers and graduates. In the last three years, over 100 stu- The centre facilitates internship dents from Portugal, Iran, Syria, Iraq programmes in over 200 farms and and Georgia have enrolled in differ- agricultural industries across Arme- ent programmes at the university. nia and Georgia, including Armenia Currently, over 30 foreign students Wine; Bari Samaratsi (Good Samari- are studying at ANAU. Special provi- tan), one of the largest domestic sions exist for different groups of po- meat producers; Proshyan Brandy tential students, for example a state Factory; Golden Grape Armas vine- quota is available to students of Ar- yards and winery; Unifish Aquacul- menian descent worldwide; the Eras- ture; Ashtarak Kat, one of the leading mus Mundus programme creates op- dairy enterprises in the South Cauca- portunities for European students; sus; Biga and Amster Flowers Dutch- Master’s and Doctoral programmes Armenian joint venture; Arcolad, a attract students from the Middle East local chocolate producer; Cheezler. in particular. Tuition fees at ANAU The vast majority of graduates find 61 jobs in agribusiness, food processing, fellow alumni, stay connected and banking and public administration. establish new contacts.  The university-wide Alumni Direc- tory helps ANAU graduates to find

I was looking for a study programme outside the EU, and I started to ask around. My professors in Portugal recommended the programme at ATC, as a few other students from my university had taken the programme earlier and were quite happy about it. So here I am, enjoying a new culture and an interesting programme. As an Erasmus “Mundus student, I got all the help I could wish for. I like the academic programme and I like Yerevan. I believe the exposure to this incredibly rich culture and very friendly people is an experience that will leave a long-lasting mark on my life.

Anna Louisa da Silva Riberio Goncalves Portugal Erasmus Mundus student at ANAU Agribusiness Training Center

Bachelor’s Master’s €1,800 - €2,400 Erasmus+ Doctoral €

7,200 students Research facilities WWW www.asue.am

200 international students Dormitory goo.gl/okQHL Armenian State University of Economics

he Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) has played a lead- Ting role in economics education, research, and public service in Armenia and in the South Caucasus. ASUE today is a vibrant collection of staff and students – its members continue to provide leadership to the economics profession. Its staff also continue the department’s tradition of broader public service. Thus, one of its tenured professors serves as Chair of the Department of Armenian Studies and Social Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

The university offers the most rigorous Bachelor’s programs in economics. Over 5,200 Bachelors are enrolled in economics courses in ASUE campuses in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor. ASUE is consistently recognised as an attractive graduate training institution, enrolling about 2,000 Master’s students. ASUE’s six departments offer about and insurance, marketing and trade, 50 Bachelor’s and Master’s pro- accounting and audit. grammes in management and business administration, microeconom- ASUE is committed to innovation in ics and macroeconomics, economic its curricula. New courses are con- theory and labour economics, data stantly being developed to bring in- analysis and econometric methodol- sights from recent research into its ogy, crisis management and tourism, programmes. Recent innovations in- international trade and economics of clude courses on networks, environ- non-renewable resources, industrial mental economics, and empirical fi- organization and finance, banking nancial economics. Studies at ASUE are more than just satisfying the 66 course requirements – regularly and teaching. ASUE staff direct a scheduled seminars offer a forum for number of profession-wide research students to learn about the latest re- programmes. Most economics research in their fields from invited search at ASUE focuses on tangible speakers, including high-ranking of- economic problems. Thus, empirical ficials from the public and private research may identify new empiri- sectors. cal patterns, test theoretical models of economic behaviour, or seek to New courses are constantly being developed evaluate the effectiveness of different to bring insights from recent research into its policies. ASUE’s theoretical research programmes. sheds new light on the behaviour and the interaction of key economic Master’s students can take advan- players, establishes new conceptual tage of numerous opportunities to frameworks for studying markets hone their research skills. One such and economic institutions, and leads opportunity is Amberd Research to new statistical and analytical tools. Centre, which fosters close ties between students and staff. It brings Business and government decision together about 100 staff and stu- makers in Armenia frequently seek dents, civil servants and business out ASUE staff for help in formulat- managers. Amberd research supple- ing and evaluating business deci- ments coursework, and its projects sions and public policy initiatives. allow students to participate in ongo- The university has a long-standing ing research at the university and to relationship with the Central Bank meet with staff outside of class. They of Armenia, where four out of five of perform tasks such as gathering and the board members are ASUE gradu- analysing economic data, checking ates. ASUE is one of the providers of mathematical calculations, and gath- research and analysis for the Central ering research materials. In addition, Bank on a range of issues related to students develop research and writ- monetary policies. ing skills through their coursework. ASUE currently carries out research The university has long emphasised on both microeconomics and mac- its commitment to both research roeconomics. The range of current 67 Facts & Figures

XX ASUE’s six departments offer about 50 Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.

XX Over 5,200 students are enrolled in ASUE.

XX Tuition fees range from €1,800-2,400 depending on the programme.

theoretical research projects is quite worldwide, such as the University wide, covering issues of national se- of Economics in Bratislava (Slova- curity, competitiveness, macroeco- kia), Poznań University of Econom- nomic projections, and financial sta- ics (Poland), Adamson University bility. Most of this research is funded (Philippines), Gadjah Mada Univer- by the government and involves ev- sity (Indonesia), Spiru Haret Uni- ery fifth staff member and a Master’s versity (Romania), Kharkiv National student. University of Economics (Ukraine), Sumy State University (Ukraine), To- The university also actively engages mas Bata University in Zlín (Czech in collaborative research with local Republic), Saint Petersburg State and international partners. It cur- University of Economics and Finance rently conducts research with Max (Russia), and Rostov State University Planck Institute of Economics (Jena, of Economics (Russia). Germany), the University of Trier (Germany), and the University of The university also participates in Ruse (Bulgaria). seven Tempus projects: ARARAT, HEN-GEAR, MAHATMA, ESPAQ, ASUE cooperates with 30 universities and VERITAS, GOVERN, and PEOPLE. academic institutions worldwide. It has extended opportunities for mobility and academic exchange for ASUE cooperates with 30 univer- staff and students through Erasmus sities and academic institutions Mundus partnerships (formerly the 68 External Cooperation Window). One own academic journal Messenger of out of six staff is involved in academ- the Armenian State University of ic exchange in the EU or Southeast Economics. The university consoli- Asian universities, thus boosting the dates its academic achievements at quality of education at ASUE. the annual ASUE conferences. Every year it organises over 30 academic The university publishes its research events which provide fora for the dis- in local and international journals cussion of economic, financial and and in the proceedings of major aca- social public policy issues and en- demic events. Annually, ASUE staff gagement of leading experts in the and students submit over 500 re- country and the region. search papers, including about 100 papers which appear in international Annually, ASUE staff and students submit over peer-reviewed publications. The uni- 500 research papers, including about 100 versity also publishes research in papers which appear in international peer- reviewed publications.

69 As the internet has enabled electron- dation. Preparation courses on core ic dissemination of information to curriculum subjects and three-month replace traditional print media, Armenian language courses are also ASUE has developed a closely fol- offered to international students. lowed web presence. The university’s website provides up-to-date infor- Whatever their destinations, ASUE mation on courses and events. ASUE students acquire essential skills for a has also ensured a consistent online wide variety of jobs, a strong founda- presence on various social media tion in economics, and an opportu- platforms, thus engaging the widest nity to interact with staff and fellow possible audiences and stakeholders. students in a challenging intellectual environment. ASUE graduates are Every year ASUE organises over 30 academic well-represented in the workforces events. of many economics and business schools, as well as schools of public An important development in recent policy, across the region. Several cur- years has been the growing interna- rent staff members have been recog- tionalisation in demand for econom- nised for their important contribu- ics training. Currently, ASUE hosts tions as teachers. Alumni also make about 200 students from the USA, major contributions to research, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, India, policy, and commerce, among whom Nepal, Sri Lanka, Syria, Russia, Be- three prime ministers of independent larus, and Georgia. Armenia, several ministers, gover- nors and members of the National Tuition fees range from €1,800- Assembly are numbered. They also 2,400 depending on the programme. work in parliament and government Full and partial scholarships offered advisory councils, as well as organ- by the government and philanthropic isations such as the World Bank, the organisations are available to stu- International Monetary Fund, the dents. The Office of External Rela- Central Bank of Armenia, the Nation- tions offers support to international al Statistical Service, the Chamber of students and advice related to ad- Control, and Armenian diplomatic mission, visa and residence permits. missions across the globe. They are It also provides dormitory accommo- also found in influential positions in 70 the market economy, ranging from corporate executives to bank managers, economic consultants and think tank analysts. 

I have applied for a graduate study in Armenia through an intergovernmental agreement between our countries. Thus, I got a full scholarship, covering the tuition fee and living expenses. I also get a medical insurance and a monthly allowance.

“I like studying in Armenia and especially at ASUE. The lecturers are very help- ful, and I love the way they share their knowledge. The university has a rich library with access to digital resources, which is a great help in our studies. I am also a member of an international research group within ASUE, which conducts research on the financial market in the Syrian Arab Republic before the war and nowadays.

I fully enjoy being a student here. After classes, I love getting together with friends at the university dorm where we cook our traditional meals and share stories.”

Ranim Alzain Syria MBA (Human Resources) 71 Bachelor’s Master’s €1,500 - €5,000 Erasmus+ Doctoral €

4,000 students Research facilities WWW www.ysmu.am

1,500 international students Dormitory

Ա Armenian, Russian, English Yerevan State Medical University

erevan State Medical University (YSMU) is a leading medical higher Yeducation institution in Eastern Europe recommended by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Directory of Medical Schools. The university offers initial medical training through entry-level education, followed by Doctoral internship and additional training through residency and fellow- ship.

YSMU’s three major departments offer nine different programmes in general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health and military medicine, with the opportunity to further specialise in 86 medical professions in Doctoral studies. Over 4,000 students are enrolled in these programs offered in the Arme- nian, English and Russian languages. The programmes are taught by internationally recognised and award-winning faculty committed to developing the next generation of doctors and medi- Petersburg-based centres of medical cal scientists. YSMU particularly fo- science. The university works exten- cuses on sharing state-of-the-art sively with the World Health Organi- knowledge and skills of continuously zation (WHO), the global champion advancing medical science and tech- in promoting international public nology – it has over 220 faculty with health. In particular, YSMU aligns its international teaching experience academic programmes with WHO’s and regularly engages renowned recommendations on developing hu- practitioners and top names in the man resources for health, and draws profession from Germany, Austria, on the virtual learning assets of the France, Italy, Switzerland, the USA, Health Sciences Online (HSO) plat- Canada, Australia, Russia, and Iran. form.

YSMU is a leading medical higher education Through organic integration with the institution in Eastern Europe recommended by global medical science community the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World YMSU has become a genuine gate- Directory of Medical Schools way to the modernisation of medical practice, knowledge and technolo- YMSU keeps its finger on the pulse gies in Armenia. Thus, its extensive of advanced medical knowledge cooperation with British, American through extensive cooperation with and Russian surgical clinics has sig- numerous leading medical schools nificantly boosted the practice of and clinics across the globe. The minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in university, its chairs and lead prac- Armenia. Close collaboration with titioners are valuable partners in Belgian dental clinics has advanced research and education for centres prosthodontics and osseointegra- of medical science and practice in tion. A new chair, the YSMU Chair Europe, the USA and Canada. Its of Critical Care and Emergency traditional partners remain medical Medicine, was established through schools in Russia and the CIS region; cooperation between the Boston indeed, YSMU continues to perfect University School of Medicine, the the practice of and develop new aca- St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical demic programmes with the pres- Center and the Armenian National tigious cohorts of Moscow- and St. Institute of Health, which offers pro- 74 grammes in emergency medicine American Nurses Credentialing Cen- and training courses for healthcare ter’s (ANCC) magnet recognition professionals, paramedics and other programme for quality patient care, relevant practitioners. This partner- nursing excellence, and innovations ship has been extended further to in professional nursing practice. include the University of Massachu- setts’ Medical School (UMAS) and The partnership with the European the American International Health Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA), Alliance (AIHA), aimed at advanc- the most prominent community of ing successful nursing practices and anaesthesiologists in Europe and the strategies in Armenia. These efforts world, endorsed YSMU as a regional bore fruit in the introduction of the centre for delivering internationally 75 acclaimed courses in anaesthesiology International Federation of Medical with the Committee for European Students’ Associations (IFMSA), the Education in Anaesthesiology International Pharmaceutical Stu- (CEEA), as well as for conducting the dents’ Federation (IPSF), and the European Diploma in Anaesthesiol- International Association of Dental ogy and Intensive Care (EDAIC). Students (IADS). EDAIC is a supranational, a multilingual, end-of-training, two-part ex- To support academic excellence, amination in anaesthesiology cover- YMSU is actively involved in vari- ing the relevant basic sciences and ous international consortia and pro- clinical subjects appropriate for a grammes which enable partners to specialist anaesthesiologist. enhance their services, to make programmes innovative, to modernise YSMU’s extensive partnerships allow its governance, and to allow for stu- students to pursue short- and long-term dent and staff exchange. YSMU is a internships in a number of leading medical committed reformer and is involved institutions. in EU-supported Tempus projects (MEDGEN, VERITAS, GOVERN, A local partnership between YSMU ALIGN, DIUSAS, PICQA, MPPHSS, and the American University of Ar- “Development of e-learning and dis- menia allows experienced health tance learning courses and assess- professionals and relevant practitio- ment in Biomedical Sciences in the ners to engage in transformational Southern Caucasus”), Erasmus Mun- education and training anchored dus (MEDEA, ALRAKIS), and the on population-based approaches to Swedish Linnaeus-Palme exchange health and delivery of public health programme. One of the innovative services by offering a joint MD/MPH learning initiatives combining IT dual degree programme. Moreover, technologies and conventional teach- YSMU’s extensive partnerships al- ing methods is the MSc programme low its students to pursue short- and in Medical Molecular Biology set long-term internships in a number of up by the University of Westmin- leading medical institutions world- ster (UK) and offered in English by wide through exchange schemes. YSMU. These schemes are offered by the 76 Qualifications awarded by YSMU are search methods and technologies at recognised by various national au- the university. The research labora- thorities and independent organisa- tories of the centre focus on mor- tions which set the standards that phology, immunology, biochemistry doctors need to follow and decide and biophysics, environmental hy- which doctors are qualified to work giene and toxicology, engineering de- in their countries, such as the Medi- sign, and simulation. In addition, cal Council of India and the UK Gen- there are specialised laboratories at eral Medical Council. Such academic each chair. Ultimately, it leads clini- recognition makes physicians with cal research in its inpatient and out- an MD degree from YSMU eligible to patient facilities. YSMU is among the take the multi-part professional top three recipients of state funding United States Medical Licensing Ex- for research into communicative and amination (USMLE), and further get non-communicative diseases, public permission to practise medicine in health and reproductive health. The the USA. Similarly, to demonstrate university highly encourages student their skills and knowledge to practise participation in these research activi- medicine in the UK, YSMU medical ties; in the third year of their studies graduates can take the Professional students are invited to join in YMSU and Linguistic Assessments Board research. Moreover, the participation (PLAB). of young researchers and students is an eligibility criterion to receive state Qualifications awarded by YSMU are funding for YMSU research. recognised by various national authorities and independent organisations YSMU is among the top three recipients of state funding for research into communicative The university is also home to ad- and non-communicative diseases, public vanced research in medical science. health and reproductive health. The YMSU Research Centre is the university’s key facility providing Excellence in teaching, research technical and organisational support and medical practice at YMSU is to research-orientated staff and stu- ensured by an extensive network of dents. It assists the introduction of well-equipped clinical facilities. The modern experimental and clinical re- core of YMSU medical facilities are 77 Facts & Figures

XX YSMU is a leading medical higher education institution in Eastern Europe recommended by the WHO’s World Directory of Medical Schools.

XX YSMU offers nine different programmes in general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health and military medicine, with the opportunity to further specialise in 86 medical professions in Doctoral studies.

XX Over 4,000 students are enrolled in YSMU.

XX YSMU library has a collection of over half a million items multilingual professional literature.

XX Every third student at YSMU is an international student. hospitals and outpatient clinics in Armenicum Clinical Centre, Fanar- the Heratsi and Muratsan medical jyan National Oncological Centre, centres, including First University Maternal and Child Health Centre, Hospital, 1st and 4th Children’s Hos- Outpatient Clinic at Grigor Narekatsi pitals, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th University Medical Centre, Armenia Republican Dental Clinics, and the Marie-Nubar Medical Centre, Mikaelyan Institute Ophthalmologic Clinic. YSMU is a of Surgery, and the Artmed, Malatia, unique medical school providing Shengavit, Erebouni and Kanaker- opportunities for medicine in prac- Zeytun medical centres. tice in 27 hospitals, including Grigor Lousavorich Medical Centre, Izmir- Opened in 2013, the YSMU Medical lian Medical Centre, Nairi Medical Simulation Centre is a state-of-the- Centre, Nork Republican Infectious art medical training facility that in- Clinical Hospital, Malayan’s Eye corporates various types of simula- Centre, Sourb Astvatsamayr Medical tion. It offers clinical training with an Centre, Yolyan Haematology Centre, array of simulation modalities in an 78 interactive learning environment. research papers in peer-reviewed Current and future healthcare pro- medical journals annually and YSMU fessionals “practise on plastic” – they journals: the multilingual The New hone their skills, acquire advanced Armenian Medical Journal and techniques and learn valuable social- Medicine, Science and Education. ly interactive tools for delivering im- The New Armenian Medical Journal portant news to patients. Multiple ensures peer review by involving types of virtual reality devices and leading representatives from the mid-to-high fidelity manikin-based medical communities of the USA, It- patient simulators are used to teach aly, Russia, Greece, and Georgia. procedures. Computer-based simulation tools are also commonly em- The research and innovation in medical ployed as part of various teaching science initiated by YSMU is widely shared activities in the centre. Working syn- with the local and international medical ergistically with other educational community. tools in YSMU curricula, the Medical Simulation Centre is fundamental to YSMU library has a collection of over the technologically enhanced collab- half a million items multilingual pro- orative and experiential learning fessional literature and offers areas model. The centre continues YSMU’s for self-study and for workshops. The long tradition of excellence as a na- library is also a unique repository of tional model for an atmosphere that ancient and medieval medical litera- fosters collaborative efforts in educa- ture. tion, research and innovation. YSMU is the largest host of the inter- The YSMU Medical Simulation Centre is a national life science community in state-of-the-art medical training facility that Armenia. Every year, YSMU brings incorporates various types of simulation. together leading medical practitioners and academics to discuss The research and innovation in med- achievements in various fields of ical science initiated by YSMU is medical science, such as gynaecology widely shared with and utilised by and obstetrics, dentistry, radiology, the local and international medical neuroprosthetics, family medicine community through more than 30 and public health, prevention, diag- 79 nosis, the treatment of cardio-vascu- education is a competitive invest- lar and respiratory diseases, cancers, ment in medical education and ca- and sexual disorders. YSMU encour- reer at a reasonable cost. The tuition ages students and young researchers fee at YSMU for international stu- to refine their knowledge and skills in dents ranges from €1,500-5,000, de- its summer schools and offers partial pending on the programme. Partial funding for their participation in rel- scholarships are available to students evant international conferences and of Armenian descent from Georgia fora. and Syria. Armenian General Benev- olent Union (AGBU) provides addi- YSMU is the largest host of the international tional assistance to Syrian Arme- life science community in Armenia. nians. Financial assistance is also offered by various Armenian Diaspo- The university is a proud home to the ra charities. largest international student community in the country and the South The university is a proud home to the largest Caucasus region: every third student international student community in the country at YSMU is an international student! and the South Caucasus region. The university is one of the most popular destinations for students The Department of International from India, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Student Education (DISE) is the Jordan, Iraq, and Georgia. In recent gateway to YSMU for international years YSMU has also attracted a students. DISE offers assistance on number of students from the USA, visa and residence permits and ar- Canada, Germany, Greece, Russia, rival logistics. It also offers support Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Kazakh- to international students on admis- stan, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Mauritius, sion policies and procedures. Prepa- the Maldives, Turkmenistan, and ratory courses are available to inter- many others. A state quota is avail- national students. The university able to students of Armenian descent offers accommodation in its fully- worldwide, while the Erasmus Mun- fledged dormitory not far from the dus programme and bilateral agree- main campus. The annual rate for a ments make YSMU education avail- room that accommodates up to three able to international students. YSMU people with three single beds is ap- 80 proximately €1,400. In addition to YSMU International Students’ Alum- the usual amenities, the dormitory ni brings together graduates world- provides free breakfast and Wi-Fi. wide. In California (USA) alone, more than 500 YSMU graduates are involved in medical practice. In gen- Partial scholarships are available to students eral, more than 95% of YSMU gradu- of Armenian descent from Georgia and Syria. ates successfully pave their professional way to a medical career.

I firmly believe that undergraduate education I received from YSMU, laid the foundation for my future professional achievements. I was an international student from India during early to late 90s. I fondly remember the utmost care taken by my teachers and the academic administration to guide us during our studies, and this “not only helped me to become a successful doctor but also a well-balanced person.

YSMU has prepared me not only for the professional, but also for the personal challenges I would face in the future.

Dr. Rajeev B Kolluri Class of 2000, Yerevan State Medical University General practitioner, Coventry, UK Member of Royal College of General Practitioners, UK Teacher in good standing, Warwick Medical School, UK 81 YSMU is well represented through collaboration with and membership in cutting-edge medical communities, such as

• the European Heart Rhythm • the World Psychiatric • the World Association for Sexual • the Association of Medical Association (EHRA), Association (WPA), Health (WAS), Education in Europe (AMEE), • the European Society of • the International Union against • the International Society for • the International Federation of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), the Sexually Transmitted Infections Pathophysiology (ISP), Medical Students Association International Association of (IUSTI), • the Alzheimer’s Association (IFMSA), Pancreatology (IAP), • the Federation of European International Conference (AAIC), • the International Federation • the European Society of Surgery Neuroscience Societies (FENS), • the European Society of Human of Dental Students Association (ESS), the European Surgical the European Academy of Genetics (ESHG), (IFDSA), Association (ESA), Neurology (EAN), • Cystic Fibrosis Worldwide (CFW), • the International Pharmaceutical • the European Society of • the European Neurological • the European Organisation for Students Federation (IPSF), Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology Society (ENS), Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), • the European Medical Students (ESPO), the European Rhinologic • the European Society of • the American Association of Association (EMSA), Society (ERS), Anaesthesiology (ESA), Clinical Anatomists (AACA), • Global Universities in Distance • the Association Nationale des • the Committee for European • the British Association of Education (GUIDE Association), ORL en Formation (Anof), Education in Anaesthesiology Clinical Anatomists (BACA), • and the Association of Dental • the European Academy of (CEEA), • the International Association of Education in Europe (ADEE). Otorhinolaryngology, • the World Federation of Universities (IAU), • the Head and Neck Surgery Societies of Anaesthesiology • the World Federation of Medical (CEORL-HNS), (WFSA), Education (WFME),

Europe:

• Greifswald Medical School (Sweden), (Germany), Armand Trousseau Hospital (Germany), • University Hospital Zurich • Vienna Open Medical Institute (Paris, France), • Innsbruck Medical University and its Perinatal Centre and Vienna Hospital Association • Necker Hospital-Enfants Malades (Austria), (Switzerland), (Austria), (Paris, France), • Charles University in Prague • WHO Collaborating Centre • Jönköping University’s School of • Institute of Myology (Paris, (Czech Republic), for Maternal and Child Health Health Sciences, France), • San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, (Trieste, Italy), • French Institute of Health and • Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris, Italy), Uppsala Centre for STD • Imperial College London (UK), Medical Research (Paris), France), Research at Uppsala University • University Medical Centre Mainz • Curie Institute (Paris, France), • Danish Cancer Society Research 82 Centre (Copenhagen, Denmark), (Switzerland), France), • University of Murcia (Spain), • University of Jena (Germany), • Antwerp University Hospital • Hôpital Cochin (Paris, France), • University of Patras (Greece), • University of Bologna (Italy), (Belgium), • Linz General Hospital (Austria), • Aristotle University of • University of Tartu (Estonia), • Leibniz Universität Hannover • Hospital St.-Maartens (Nijmegen, Thessaloniki (Greece), Cyprus Institute of Neurology (Germany), Netherlands), • University of Athens (Greece), and Genetics (Nicosia, Cyprus), • Heidelberg University Hospital • Tivoli University Hospital (La • Riga Stradins University • Charité-University Medicine (Germany), Louvière, Belgium), (Latvia), Berlin’s Institute of Experimental • University Medical Centre • Inselspital-University Hospital of • Université René Descartes Paris Pediatric Endocrinology Mannheim (Germany), Bern (Switzerland), 5 (France), (Germany), • Italian National Centre for Rare • Salzburg General Hospital • L’Université Libre de Bruxelles • University of Paris (France), Diseases (Rome, Italy), (Austria), (Belgium), • Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, • Royal Brompton Hospital (UK), • OLV Hospital Aalst (Belgium), • University of Lübeck (Germany), Sweden), • Porterbrook Clinic (Sheffield, • University of the Mediterranean • Research Centre Borstel – • School of Pharmacy at UK), (Marseille, France), Leibniz Centre for Medicine and University of Camerino (Italy), • Humboldt University of Berlin • Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University Biosciences (Germany), • Centre hospitalier de (Germany), (France), • University of Belgrade (Serbia). Fontainebleau (Paris, France), • Memmingen Hospital (Germany), • Heinrich Heine University • Porrentruy Hospital • Hôpital Saint-Louis (Paris, Düsseldorf (Germany),

North America:

• Thomas Jefferson University • The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical • Georgia Neurosurgical Institute • Yale University School of Hospital and Jefferson Center (Los Angeles, CA), (Macon), Medicine (New Haven, CT), Ultrasound Radiology and • Doheny Eye Institute (Los • College of Physicians and • University of Kansas Medical Education Institute (Philadelphia, Angeles, CA), Surgeons of Columbia University Center (Kansas City, KS), PA), • Medical School of the University (New York, NY), • Lahey Clinic Medical Center • University of Washington School of California, San Francisco (San • Keck School of Medicine of the (Burlington, MA), of Medicine (Seattle, WA), Francisco, CA), University of Southern California • Université de Montréal (Canada), • Centers for Disease Control and • American International Health (Los Angeles, CA), • Dalhousie University (Halifax, Prevention (Atlanta, GA), Alliance (Washington, DC), • Baltimore Washington Medical Canada). • Boston University School of • Duke University Hospital Center (MD), Medicine (Boston, MA), (Durham, NC), • New York Medical College (NY), • University of Massachusetts • Emory University School of • David Geffen School of Medicine Medical School (Worcester, MA), Medicine (Atlanta, GA), at UCLA (Los Angeles, CA), 83 Russia, Moscow:

• Pirogov Russian National Therapy, Hematology, Health, Research Medical University and • Petrovsky National Research • Engelhardt Institute of Molecular • Burdenko Neurosurgery its Institute of Cerebrovascular Centre of Surgery, Biology, Institute, Pathology and Stroke, • Scientific Research Institute of • Endocrinology Research Centre, • Research Institute of Human • Russian Stroke Centre, Nutrition, • Central Research Institute of Morphology, • Institute for Medicine of Peoples’ • Federal Clinic Research Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, • Russian Cystic Fibrosis Centre, Friendship University of Russia, Center of Otorhinolaryngology • Russian Medical Academy for • Moscow Metropolitan Psycho- • State Scientific Centre of of Russia, Central Clinical Post-graduate Education, endocrinology Center, Dermatology and Cosmetology, Hospital of the Presidential • Martinovsky Institute of • Priorov Research Institute • Sechenov First Moscow State Administration of Russia, Parasitology and Tropical of Trauma Surgery and Medical University and its Clinic • Moscow State University of Medicine, Orthopedics, of Ear, Medicine and Dentistry, • Zakusov Research Institute of • Institute of General Pathology • Nose and Throat, Moscow • State Research Institute of Eye Pharmacology, and Pathological Physiology. • State University of Medicine and Diseases of Russian Academy of • Gamaleya Institute of Dentistry, Medical Sciences, Epidemiology and Microbiology, • Moscow Centre for Manual • National Research Center for • Scientific Centre of Children

St. Petersburg:

• Mechnikov St. Petersburg State University Clinic, • Shupyk National Medical and Child Health Care (Chisinau, Medical Academy, • Rostov State Medical University, Academy of Postgraduate Moldova), • Mechnikov North-West State • Tver State Medical Academy, Education (Kiev, Ukraine), • Sarajishvili Clinical Neurology Medical University, • Samara State Medical • National University of Pharmacy and Neurosurgery Institute • Kirov Military Medical Academy, University. (Kharkov, Ukraine), (Tbilisi, Georgia), • Saint Petersburg State • Partnerships in its immediate • Bogomoletz Institute of • Cairo University School Paediatric Medical University, neighbourhood include Vitebsk Physiology (Kiev, Ukraine), of Medicine, University of • St. Petersburg Medical Academy State Medical University • Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Alexandria (Egypt).  of Postgraduate Studies. (Belarus), Academy (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), • As well as with Irkutsk State • Kolomiychenko Otolaryngology • Dermatology and Venereology Medical University, Institute (Kiev, Ukraine), Research Institute (Tbilisi, • Pavlov First Saint Petersburg • Kharkiv National Medical Georgia), State Medical University and its University (Ukraine), • Research Institute for Mother 84

Bachelor’s Master’s €700 - €1,800 Erasmus+ Doctoral €

3,500 students Research facilities WWW www.ysuac.am

300 international students Dormitory goo.gl/1142Lp

Ա Armenian, Russian, English, French National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia

n the realm of Armenian art, architecture takes pride of place. It was per- Ihaps the first of the arts to be seriously and formally studied in Armenia. To this day, Armenian architecture receives more scholarly attention than all of the other arts combined.

Today, the proud heir of this intellectual tradition is the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), the home to professional education, research and practice in architecture. NUACA effectively com- bines learning and practice, creating a unique environment in which there is a fusion of knowledge and skills, drive and experience, passion and resources.

Its four Schools of Architecture, Design, Construction and Management, and Technology offer study programmes at all three educational levels. More than 3500 students are enrolled in 25 Graduate Diploma in Architecture is Bachelor’s, 24 Master’s and 8 Doc- officially recognised by the French toral programmes. The university authorities, granting access to the la- also offers professional development bour market for graduates. The qual- programmes to architectural firms ity of knowledge and skills acquired and individuals. at the university is proven by numerous awards won by NUACA’s gradu- School of Architecture offers its pro- ates’ projects at various international grammes in the Armenian, English, architectural competitions. Russian and French languages; programmes in the School of Construc- NUACA’s Graduate Diploma in Architecture is tion are available in English, Russian officially recognised by the French authorities, and Armenian. All other programmes granting access to the labour market for are available in Armenian and Rus- graduates. sian. The availability of education in different languages attracts interna- Research is pivotal in the creative tional students to the schools’ pro- development of NUACA: staff and grammes. students share and exchange ideas, knowledge and interests. The high- The availability of education in different lights of the NUACA research port- languages attracts international students to the folio include the maintenance and schools’ programmes. development of water systems, and high-precision monitoring of dis- NUACA and the Polytechnic Univer- placements of the crust using terres- sity of Milan (Politecnico di Milano) trial laser scanning technology. NU- offer one- and two-year joint Mas- ACA, jointly with the Municipality ter’s programmes. The university of Thessaloniki (Greece), Karadeniz and the Lyon National School of Ar- Technical University (Turkey) and chitecture (École Nationale Supéri- the Union of Science and Energetics eure d’Architecture de Lyon) offer a (Georgia) works on problems related joint Doctoral programme. General- to integrated coastal monitoring of ly, the qualifications awarded by the the environment in sea ports, a proj- university are widely recognised ect funded by the EU. across the world. Thus, NUACA’s 88 The university strongly encourages learning. These laboratories are the the participation of young research- nerve centre of NUACA’s educational ers and students in academic projects programmes. It is here that study focusing on preservation, restoration and research projects take shape, and and reinforcement of architectural that students, teachers and research- monuments, ventilation, and dam ers meet to conduct experiments and safety. Every 10th team member en- tests. Specialised facilities support gaged in NUACA research projects is work in science and engineering, in- a student. cluding conservation and restoration, water systems and water re- Eighteen fully-fledged laboratories source management, engineering promote hands-on and experiential geodesy, geoecology and biosafety, 89 Facts & Figures

XX 3500 students are enrolled in 25 Bachelor’s, 24 Master’s and 8 Doctoral programmes.

XX The university hosts over 300 international students.

XX Tuition fees range from €700-1,800 for different programmes and levels.

information technologies, railway, Technological Progress and Informa- bridge and tunnels engineering, con- tion in Construction (VNIINTPI). struction technologies, materials, structures and machines, heating, NUACA offers study facilities in its gas transmission, ventilation and air general and specialised libraries, conditioning, energy efficiency, such as the library of water science chemical materials and silicates, and and technology and a well-equipped the strength of materials. architecture workshop, as well as a library for studies in engineering and Eighteen fully-fledged laboratories promote technology with three reading halls, hands-on and experiential learning. two computer rooms, and a multimedia lab. The research results of staff and students are published in over 400 NUACA publishes its own academic journal academic articles annually. The uni- NUACA Bulletin. versity publishes its own academic journal NUACA Bulletin. Abstracts One of the strongest assets of the uni- from the bulletin are reprinted in the versity is its international partner- Journal of Construction and Archi- ships, based on joint projects involv- tecture of Russian Research Insti- ing students and staff. According to tute of the Problems of Scientific and the French Agency for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education, the 90 university is strongly committed to real-world issues further, the univer- fully integrating into the European sity is cooperating with the Romual- area of higher education.i The geog- do Del Bianco Foundation (Italy). raphy of NUACA partnerships is large – the university has coopera- The university is a member of aca- tion agreements with different uni- demic and professional associations versities in France, Germany, Italy, and networks in advanced architec- Greece, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, ture and construction studies, such China, Iraq and Iran. It partners with as the European Association for Ar- the Ecole Nationale Supérieure chitectural Education (EAAE), the d’Architecture de Strasbourg, the Network of Architecture Schools of École des Ponts ParisTech (National France and Central and Eastern Eu- School of Bridges and Roads), KTH rope (REA), Agence universitaire de Royal Institute of Technology, Mos- la Francophonie (AUF), the Associa- cow State University of Civil Engi- tion of Energy Consumers and Ener- neering, Otto-von-Guericke Univer- gy Producers in Norway (Norsk En- sity Magdeburg, and many other ergi), the International Commission universities. on Large Dams (ICOLD), the Inter- national Association for Hydro-Envi- NUACA offers study library, well-equipped ronment Engineering and Research architecture workshop, library for studies in (IAHR), the European Association engineering and technology with 3 reading of Institutions in Higher Educa- halls. tion (EURASHE), the International Academy of Engineering, the Inter- NUACA is an active stakeholder in national Association of Construction urban development through coop- Schools, and the Association of Ar- eration with cities and communities chitecture and Construction Schools across the country. It brings new of CIS Countries. experiences as a result of collaboration with the Swiss Accademia di NUACA staff and students are active Architettura di Mendrisio. To tackle contributors to different regular international academic events and exchange programmes. The university i Rapport d’Évaluation de l’Université Nationale d’Architecture et de Construction successfully contributes to the work d’Arménie (UNACA), http://goo.gl/upQ3lZ. 91 of the International Council on Mon- The conference proceedings appear uments and Sites (ICOMOS). in Scopus, the world’s largest ab- stract and citation database of peer- About 200 students and staff are involved reviewed literature. in different academic exchange and mobility programmes every year. The university hosts over 300 international students. Tuition fees range The university is participates in six from €700-1,800 for different pro- Tempus projects and Erasmus Mun- grammes and levels. Merit-based full dus ALRAKIS with partner universi- and partial scholarships are available ties in Armenia, EU member states to international students from the and Eastern Partnership countries. university, the private sector, the About 200 students and staff are government, and charities, such as involved in different academic ex- the Armenian General Benevolent change and mobility programmes Union (AGBU) and the Fund for Ar- every year. menian Relief (FAR). Bilateral agreements between Armenian and for- NUACA has galvanised one of the eign governments and universities key academic events in the profes- also make scholarships available to sion – the International Conference international students. Financial aid on Contemporary Problems of Archi- is also offered to students from Syria. tecture and Construction – providing a genuine forum for the exchange of Merit-based full and partial scholarships are academic perspectives. Since 2008, available to international students from the the university has organised this university, the private sector, the government, annual conference jointly with the and charities. VSB-Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Częstochowa Uni- NUACA’s Department for Interna- versity of Technology (Poland), Bei- tional Relations and its Office of -In jing University of Civil Engineering ternational Students offer support to and Architecture (China), St. Peters- foreign students and consultancy re- burg State University of Architecture lated to admission and academic af- and Civil Engineering (Russia), and fairs, and visa and residence permits, the University of Florence (Italy). as well as dormitory or off-campus 92 accommodation. The university also Sweden, Portugal and the Czech Re- offers a one-year free preparation public. programme and language courses to international students. NUACA’s Career Centre and Alumni Association, with its national and The university offers internships in international branches, are con- leading businesses in the industry in tinuously involved in improving the Armenia and abroad. Students also university’s academic programmes have the opportunity to undertake and governance. Major employers in internships in partner universities in Armenia are represented on the aca- France, China, Russia, Italy, Poland, demic board of the university, as well as examination committees. 

When thinking of where I should do my Master’s, in the EU or outside of it, I finally opted for the latter. Thus, I selected two universities in Istanbul and NU- ACA in Armenia. Eventually, I chose Armenia, since I was really keen on exploring religious architecture, and Armenia is an excellent venue for such studies. “ Now I really enjoy my studies and the country. I get all the support one can hope for. Whenever we need any support or advice, we can rely on NUACA staff. The whole programme is in English, but if the lecturer knows French, they would often speak in French to make things easy for us. And the best thing is that we can easily transfer credits earned here back to my university in Lyon.

Overall, I enjoy my time here. I like people the best in the Armenia, their friendliness and responsiveness. I love the nature and the light in this country. “

Casimir Chauvin France Exchange student at MA Urban Planning 93 Bachelor’s Master’s €500 - €800 Erasmus+ Doctoral €

3,200 students Research facilities WWW www.gspi.am

15 international students Dormitory

Ա Armenian, Russian, English Gyumri State Paedagogical Institute

yumri State Paedagogical Institute (GSPI) is the alma mater of many Gtalents of Armenia’s Shirak province. Its six departments offer 59 Bach- elor’s and 21 Master’s programmes. GSPI awards teaching degrees in formal, physical, social and life sciences, humanities, physical education, and military training.

The main language of instruction is Armenian, but certain programmes in foreign languages – English, French, German, French and Russian – are also available. The institute offers computer rooms, science labs, workshops and sports facilities, as well as a library with access to Springer. GSPI currently enrols over 3,200 students at all educational levels. Facts & Figures

XX Its six departments offer 59 Bachelor’s and 21 Master’s programmes. GSPI awards teaching degrees in formal, physical, social and life sciences, humanities, physical education, and military training.

XX Tuition fees range from €500-800.

The institute is a partner in Tempus in Tralee, Worms University of Ap- projects (ARARAT, HEN-GEAR, Su- plied Sciences, Rotterdam University To-Ma, ARMENQA, and PICQA) of Applied Science, Universidad de and the Erasmus Mundus INFINITY Huelva, Universidad de Las Palmas programme. GSPI staff and students de Gran Canaria, Universidade do actively participate in the exchange Minho, and Universitet Marii Currie- schemes offered by IREX and DAAD. Sklodowskiej The institute also encourages and supports student participation in the GSPI also works with higher educa- International Mathematics Competi- tion institutions in the CIS area, such tion for University Students (IMC). as Belarusian State Technological University, the State Agrarian Uni- GSPI collaborates with many Eu- versity of Moldova, the Technical ropean universities, including the University of Moldova, Donetsk Na- University of Lisbon, the Techni- tional Technical University, Beketov cal University of Ostrava, the Es- National University of Urban Econ- tonian University of Life Sciences, omy, Kharkov National University of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Civil Engineering and Architecture, the University of Nova Gorica, the and Lviv Polytechnic. GSPI has de- University of Alicante, Universität veloped special partnerships with Koblenz-Landau, Technische Uni- Georgian universities, including Go- versität München, Rezeknes Augst- gebashvili Telavi State University, skola, the Institute of Technology Rustaveli State University, Ilia State 96 University, the Agricultural Univer- vation, the Regional Environmental sity of Georgia, the Technical Univer- Centre for the Caucasus, Centre In- sity of Georgia, Kutaisi University of ternational d’Etudes Pedagogiques, Law and Economics, and Javakhish- and Quality Assurance of Nether- vili Tbilisi State University. lands Universities.

GSPI is involved with international GSPI consolidates its research in its own associations and organizations to ex- publication “GSPI Proceedings”. pand student and staff access to educational resources, such as the Euro- Staff and students publish research pean Centre of Studies and Initiatives, in national and international jour- th Information Systems Manage- nals; annually over 200 articles are ment Institute, the World University submitted for publication by GSPI Service – Austrian Committee, CHE researchers. The institute also con- Consult GmbH, the Transboundary solidates its research in its own pub- Joint Secretariat for Nature Conser- lication GSPI Proceedings. 97 There are 15 international students The GSPI Career Centre brings to- studying at GSPI currently. Tuition gether staff, students, graduates, fees range from €500-800, and fi- alumni and employers. The institute nancial aid is offered by the govern- offers internships in schools, as well ment, private businesses, and chari- as other relevant organisations. The ties. GSPI’s External Relations Office vast majority of graduates have suc- provides consultancy related to ad- cessfully built careers in their chosen mission and academic life in general. specialisations.  The institute also offers dormitory accommodation and language courses to international students.

98 99 Bachelor’s Master’s Ա Armenian, Russian, English WWW www.brusov.am Doctoral

3,000 students Research facilities goo.gl/Z7U4Hk

www.youtube.com/user/ 80 international students Dormitory LinguisticUniversity

€ €1,000 Erasmus+ Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Science

erevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Science (Brusov YUniversity) is home to one of the oldest and distinguished linguistics programmes in the South Caucasus. The university is widely known for its highly engaged students and excellent teaching. Studying a language degree at Brusov is a challenging and enjoyable experience. As well as acquiring fluency in the spoken and written forms of a language, students are also introduced to global thought and literature. They can choose from an unusually wide range of language combinations or can opt to study a language with another subject, such as political science, journalism, tourism, psychology, or translation studies. The university strives to provide high-quality teaching informed by current research. It fosters a broad and integrated approach to the study of languages and linguistics. Facts & Figures

XX Brusov University is home to one of the oldest and distinguished linguistics programmes in the South Caucasus.

XX Brusov’s three departments offer 25 Bachelor’s and 25 Master’s programmes.

XX The university is home to about 3,000 students and over 400 academic staff.

XX Tuition fee is about €1,000.

The university offers a genuine en- from abroad are present at the uni- vironment where students, who care versity. It also engages many volun- about being precise in use of lan- teers through the European Volun- guages, really enjoy rigorous and in- tary Service, which extends tensive approach to advancing their opportunities to perfect language language skills. Literary study at proficiency skills. Brusov offers an opportunity to in- vestigate some of the most interest- Brusov’s staff include many renowned experts ing products of human imagination in their respective fields. and thought. The range of languages studied is The university is home to about diverse, including Russian, English, 3,000 students and over 400 aca- French, German, Dutch, Spanish, demic staff, constituting a thriving Italian, Modern Greek, Romanian, teaching and research community. and Bulgarian, Chinese, Japanese, Brusov’s staff include many re- Korean, Hindi, Farsi, Arabic, He- nowned experts in their respective brew, Turkish, and Georgian. fields. It also attracts visiting staff; currently, about 20 faculty members 102 Courses are offered both at the Bach- One of its most notable Master’s pro- elor’s and Master’s level. The breadth grammes is the joint “Langue, Lit- of the university’s focus is also re- térature et Civilisation Francaises”, flected in its Doctoral research. introduced with Université Paris Brusov’s three departments offer 25 IV Sorbonne. It also offers similar Bachelor’s and 25 Master’s and Doc- programmes in the methodology of toral programmes on phonological, teaching French and modern educa- grammatical, and semantic struction technologies, translation, and ture, which expose students to de- project management. The language scriptive, experimental, and histori- of instruction in these programmes cal approaches to the study of is French. language. The university has strengths in many linguistics areas Brusov continues the tradition of rig- reflected in the research interests of orous studies in language policy and its staff. Those include phonetics, is an exciting and fulfilling venue to phonology, morphology, syntax, se- carry out linguistic research. The uni- mantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics versity actively encourages the par- and psycholinguistics, and compara- ticipation of students in its research. tive and historical linguistics. Brusov is also home to Armenian Studies It hosts academic events on public and language teaching methodolo- policies related to foreign languages, gies. teaching and multilingualism. Thus, Brusov co-organises international Brusov is home for Armenian studies and conferences on teaching foreign lan- language-teaching methodologies. guages and literature, such as the 4th International Conference of Teachers These programmes specifically focus of Russian Language and Literature on literature, which gives students an and the 5th International Conference understanding of other cultures that on the Use of Modern Technologies cannot be acquired solely through in Teaching French. language learning, and leads into areas such as gender issues, popular The university offers a convenient culture, aesthetics, ethics, history, meeting place for staff, students and philosophy, and politics. research associates interested in the 103 nature of language: it has several lab- In an effort to internationalise its education, the oratories dedicated to teaching, the university cooperates with many academic centres investigation of phonological typolo- of excellence worldwide: gy, and the art of translation. Its research library contains the largest • Humboldt (Italy), Korea), Literature specialist collection in this field in University • Lucian Blaga • Tallinn Institute Armenia, and is the main lending li- of Berlin University University (Russia), brary for students. It also hosts spe- (Germany), of Sibiu (Estonia), • Ablai Khan cial collections, such as the Austrian • the University (Romania), • the University University of and Swiss libraries, and offers access of Siegen • Moldova State of Vienna International to EBSCOhost, SpringerLink, Sage, (Germany), University, (Austria), Relations jSTORE, DOAJ, and other e-libraries • Martin Luther • Kyiv National • Minsk State and World and information databases. University Linguistic Linguistic Languages of Halle- University University (Kazakhstan). Brusov has several laboratories dedicated to Wittenberg (Ukraine), (Belarus), teaching, the investigation of phonological (Germany), • Ivane • Dalian typology, and the art of translation. • Université Javakhishvili University catholique Tbilisi State of Foreign The university publishes its research de Louvain University Languages in two specialised volumes: Brusov (Belgium), (Georgia), (China), Bulletin on Philology, and Pedagogy • Vytautas • Ferdowsi • Moscow State and Social Sciences. Brusov staff and Magnus University Linguistic students publish about 200 papers in University of Mashhad University local and international academic (Lithuania), (Iran), (Russia), journals every year. • Albert • Hankuk • Peoples’ Ludwigs University Friendship Brusov staff and students publish about 200 University of Foreign University of papers in local and international academic of Freiburg Studies Russia, journals every year. (Switzerland), (South • Pushkin State • the University Korea), Russian Brusov is an active partner in the of Perugia • Seoul Language Tempus VERITS, GOVERN, AR- (Italy), National Institute MENQA and SSRULLI projects, • the University University (Russia), and coordinates the ALIGN project. of Verona (South • Maxim Gorky 104 It also participates in the Erasmus students and graduates. Its annual Mundus EFFORT and IANUS II pro- job fairs attract over 100 employers; grammes, as well as the EU-funded indeed, the skills gained and fostered EVS and Youth in Action projects. by studying languages at Brusov are much prized by employers. Employ- The university is home to about 80 ers value Brusov graduates because international students from the USA, they are competent in one or two France, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, languages, have acquired a range of Ukraine, Syria, Iran, South Korea, transferable skills, and have first- China, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, hand experience of other cultures. and Turkmenistan. Tuition fee is about €1,000. Full and partial schol- Brusov’s Career Centre’s annual job fairs arships are available to students of- attract over 100 employers. fered by the Government of Armenia and various charities. Among the careers successfully followed by Brusov graduates are The Department of International Re- journalism, management, law, in- lations provides assistance to inter- ternational development agencies, national students related to admis- teaching and lecturing, advertising, sion and dormitory accommodation. arts and administration, civil and Free Armenian-language courses are diplomatic service, and environmen- also available to international stu- tal and development work, to name dents. but a few. 

Brusov’s Career Centre is the liaison between the labour market and its

105 Bachelor’s Master’s €500 - €800 WWW www.vspi.am Doctoral €

2,800 students Research facilities www.facebook.com/vanadzor.vph

30 international students Dormitory

Ա Armenian Erasmus+ Vanadzor Hovhannes Tumanyan State University

anadzor Hovhannes Tumanyan State University (VSU) offers higher Veducation in humanities, natural and social sciences. Its students come primarily from the northeastern region of Lori, a pearl of aesthetic, poetic and natural beauty of the nation.

VSU’s five departments offer 28 Bachelor’s and 13 Master’s programmes, enrolling over 2,800 students. The Department of Philology provides Bach- elor’s and Master’s programmes in the Armenian, Russian and English languages and literature. It also delivers Bachelor’s programmes in journalism and translation studies. The Department of History and Geography Studies provides Bachelor’s programmes in teaching history, law, geography, management, social work, culture studies, as well as a Master’s programme in history studies. The Department of Paedagogy covers teaching at the pre-school Facts & Figures

XX VSU’s five departments offer 28 Bachelor’s and 13 Master’s programmes.

XX Tuition fees vary between €500-800.

and secondary level. The Department staff and students to work and study of Physics and Mathematics offers in VSU. Bachelor’s and Master’s teaching degrees in science; the Department VSU library has two reading halls of Biochemistry provides degrees in in humanities and natural sciences, biology, chemistry, physical culture as well as three study rooms. It also and sport, as well as in pharmaceuti- provides free Wi-Fi. The university cal chemistry and the environmental has a computer lab and science lab- studies. oratories in relevant disciplines. A number of centres, such as the lan- The main language of instruction guage centre, enable the integration is Armenian, although some pro- of theory and practice. VSU ensures a grammes in language studies, litera- vibrant connection between the uni- ture, mathematics, informatics and versity and the community by pro- biology are also offered in Russian. viding legal consultancy. Internships are offered in schools, care centres, The faculty is actively involved in pharmacies, banks and leading mo- international academic cooperation, bile and data companies operational with partners in 80 countries. VSU in Lori. currently hosts over 30 international students. Recently, Erasmus Mundus The university is a host of academic programmes have enabled European events, such as the Fourth Sym- posium of the Armenian Chemical 108 Society in 2014. The university par- tion, and provides dormitory accom- ticipates in Tempus MAHATMA, modation. Tuition fees vary between SRULLI, LeAGUe, VERITAS and €500-800. Full and partial scholar- GOVERN projects, and in Erasmus ships are offered by the university Mundus EMINENCE I and II, and and private donors.  JANUS I and II programmes.

VSU provides advice to international students on admission and educa-

109 Bachelor’s Master’s €800 - €1,200 Doctoral €

2,700 students Research facilities

50 international students WWW www.asipc.am

Ա Armenian, Russian Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture

he Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture (ASIPC) is a centre of Tnational and regional significance that promotes careers related toa humanities-based and social science approach to sport and exercise. Exam- ples of these careers include journalism, youth sport development, facilitation of health-promotion programmes, public relations, governmental and sport agency work, community outreach, and coaching in and outside of public schools.

ASIPC offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in two major areas: sports and health promotion, and physical education and coaching. Its eighteen chairs deliver courses in kinesiology and health, exercise science and adaptive physical education, athletic training and sport management, sport history and sociology, sport philosophy and psychology, and teaching and journalism. Facts & Figures

XX ASIPC offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in two major areas: sports and health promotion, and physical education and coaching.

XX More than 2,700 students are enrolled in ASIPC.

XX Tuition fees vary from €800-1200 for different programmes.

Some programmes are also offered in Athletic training programmes are de- Russian. More than 2,700 students signed to prepare students for a ca- are enrolled in ASIPC programmes reer as an athletic trainer and coach. at three educational levels. The institute recruits the highest-flying retired Armenian professional Programmes focusing on exercise athletes as staff and at the same time science prepare students for pro- encourages the enrolment of younger fessional studies in sport, as well as talented athletes as students. This physical and occupational therapy. genuine, reinforcing cycle ensures These programmes offer courses on the quality of the programmes and anatomy, exercise physiology, bio- contributes towards excellence in mechanics, fitness evaluation, neu- physical education across the nation. romuscular control, motor learning, In this way, 30 Olympic medallists, motor development, and sport psy- every nine in ten Champions of Eu- chology. Students are also offered rope, and eight in ten World Champi- courses in adaptive physical educa- ons from Armenia have studied at tion; this is the art and science of de- the institute; many of them later be- veloping, implementing, and moni- came coaches. This tradition in excel- toring a carefully designed physical lence has peaked in outstanding education instructional programme achievements in the second half of for learners with disabilities. the 20th century, when 90 percent of

112 Armenian athletes on Olympic teams ry, and teaching methods, as well as came home with medals. incorporate a substantial component of field experience in public schools. ASIPC recruits the highest-flying retired ASIPC has secured teaching and Armenian professional athletes as staff. coaching positions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels across This distinct school of sports and the country, throughout the region, physical education has made Arme- and around the world. nian sports competitive in chess, athletics, swimming, fencing, box- ASIPC graduates are also able to being, wrestling, Olympic weightlift- come allied healthcare professionals ing, football, tennis, gymnastics, and and specialise in the prevention, as- shooting. sessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses of ath- Sports management courses at letes and those engaged in physical ASIPC prepare graduates for work activity. To increase marketability, in the dynamic sport and fitness in- many graduates also pursue coach- dustry. Many graduates have enjoyed ing and teaching opportunities. prosperous careers at all levels of ASIPC is also appropriate for stu- sport, management, marketing, and dents interested in continuing their the administration of sport and fit- education in medicine, sports medi- ness programmes in educational set- cine, physical therapy, occupational tings, business, and entertainment therapy, or other allied healthcare both in Armenia and internationally. professions.

Physical education courses prepare The quality of teaching in ASIPC is reinforced teachers and coaches who empower by fully fledged facilities, such as ten courts youth with the skills, knowledge, and gyms, a multi-purpose indoor arena, and a habits, and desire to be physically football pitch. active and to make healthy choices both today and for the rest of their The quality of teaching, supported lives. These courses allow students to by the pillars of curricula and staff, explore developmental issues of chil- is reinforced by fully fledged facili- dren and adolescents, learning theo- ties, such as ten courts and gyms, a 113 multi-purpose indoor arena, and a menia and abroad. ASIPC is a mem- football pitch. The research centre ber of the Eurasian Association of and library, full of relevant literature Universities of Physical Culture and and computer equipment, are avail- International Olympic Academy, and able to research students. Annually, regularly contributes to different aca- about 50 articles by ASIPC research demic events. students and staff appear in peer- reviewed journals. ASIPC also hosts Annually, about 50 articles by ASIPC research the National Olympic Academy. students and staff appear in peer-reviewed journals. The institute shares its achievements at the annual ASIPC International The institute also attracts interna- Academic Conference. It also collab- tional students – about 50 students orates with other universities in Ar- from Georgia, Russia, Syria, Cyprus, 114 Iran, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan The Office of External Relations of- study at ASIPC. Tuition fees vary fers counselling on admission and from €800-1200 for different pro- programmes, support for accom- grammes. Full and partial merit- modation, and puts on preparation based scholarships offered by the Ar- courses in Russian and English. In menian government and charities addition, the ASIPC Career Centre are available for both local and inter- bridges the careers of graduates in national students. the education, sports, recreation and entertainment industries.  Full and partial merit-based scholarships offered by the Armenian government and charities are available for both local and international students.

115 Bachelor’s www.gsu.am Master’s € €500-€700 WWW

2,500 students Research facilities goo.gl/AEOS5a

2 international students Dormitory www.youtube.com/user/gsuadmin

Ա Armenian, Russian, English Erasmus+ twitter.com/UniversityGSU Gavar State University

avar State University (GSU) is one of the most dynamically develop- Ging new universities in Armenia. As one of the first higher education- institutions in independent Armenia, GSU successfully overcame transitional challenges and became one of the most vibrant academic communities in the country today.

The five departments of the university offer 30 Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in philology, natural sciences, humanities and economics, in which currently more than 2,500 students from across the country are enrolled. The main language of instruction is Armenian, but certain language and literature programmes are available in both English and Russian. Facts & Figures

XX GSU’s five departments offer 30 Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.

XX Currently more than 2,500 students are enrolled in GSU.

XX Tuition fees vary between €500-700.

The university’s e-learning platform hands-on experience to students and (elearning.gsu.am) is a valuable services to local community. Stu- modern facility which provides addi- dents typically provide assistance tional academic support and access with research, drafting legal argu- to learning resources. GSU also offers ments, and meeting with clients. research facilities to of biology and chemistry staff and students, as well GSU’s e-library provides students with access as fully fledged computer labs. The to national and global libraries and databases university’s Museum of History has a such as Springer, Ebsco and Sage. fascinating collection of artefacts available for students and staff of ar- GSU has two libraries which offer chaeological studies. The university collections in humanities and science; GSU’s e-library provides stu- GSU’s e-learning platform is a valuable dents with access to national librar- modern facility which provides additional ies and on-line databases such as academic support and access to learning Springer, Ebsco and Sage. The uni- resources. versity provides a wealth of internship opportunities in the province’s is a knowledge hub for the wider secondary schools, the Administra- community – GSU’s legal clinic is a tion of the President of the Republic non-profit law practice which serves of Armenia, the National Assembly, the public interest, and provides the Chamber of Advocates of Arme- 118 nia, different courts, the police, tax GSU is well represented in interna- offices, Armstat and other public in- tional academic fora; its staff and stu- stitutions, Chambers of Commerce, dents participate in and contribute to banks, leading mobile operators and regular conferences and symposia relevant businesses, non-govern- such as the Federation of the Soci- mental organisations, regional ad- eties of Biochemistry and Molecular ministrations and local governance Biology (FEBS) Congress, Interna- bodies. tional Meeting of Thermophiles, the Congress of European Microbiolo- GSU has attracted excellent teaching staff from gists, and the International Sympo- all over the country and successfully integrates sium on Microbial Ecology. teaching and research. The university successfully partners GSU has attracted excellent teach- with universities around the world, ing staff from all over the country including the University of Parma, and successfully integrates teaching the University of Tuscia, Rome Sapi- and research. University staff pub- enza University, St. Petersburg State lish research in international peer- University of Economics, the Alexan- reviewed journals such as FEMS der Technological Educational Insti- Microbiology Ecology, Journal of tute in Thessaloniki, the University Basic Microbiology, Antonie van of Ruse, Swansea Metropolitan Uni- Leeuwenhoek, International Jour- versity, Vitebsk State Technological nal of Engineering-Transactions B: University, the Polytechnic Institute Applications, FEBS Journal, Trans- of Viana do Castelo, Rezekne Univer- actions of Nanjing University of sity of Applied Sciences, and Telavi Aeronautics and Astronautics, Eur- State University. asian Mathematical Journal, Jour- nal of Contemporary Mathematical GSU participates in 15 international Analysis, Advances in Environmen- programmes which offer genuine op- tal Biology, and Research Journal of portunities for academic exchange Recent Sciences. The university also and mobility, including eleven Tem- publishes research in its annual An- pus projects (ARARAT, ATHENA, thology of Academic Articles. ARMENQA, GOVERN, HEN.GEAR, LAMANCHE, LeAGUe, PACT, PICA- 119 SA, RETHINK, and VERITAS), Eras- charities. The university provides in- mus Mundus programmes (EURO- ternational students with all possible EAST, HERMES, TEMPO), and the assistance and advice related to ad- Black Sea Cross-border Cooperation mission, visa and residence permits, (BLAC-SEA) project. and also offers dormitory accommodation. GSU participates in 15 international programmes which offer genuine opportunities The GSU Alumni Aassociation and for academic exchange and mobility, including Career Centre have created a joint eleven Tempus projects. online platform (www.career.gsu. am) to connect alumni and to bridge Currently, GSU hosts international the space between graduates and students from Spain, Russia, Georgia employers. The university ensures and Kazakhstan. Tuition fees at GSU public outreach through presence range from €500-700, depending on social platforms, including the on the programme. Full and partial production and broadcast of its own scholarships are offered by the gov- programme on local television and ernment, private businesses, philan- on Youtube.  thropic organisations, and Diaspora

120 121 Bachelor’s Master’s €1,000 WWW www.rau.am Doctoral €

2,400 students Research facilities goo.gl/9Ya1xa

700 international students Erasmus+

Ա Russian, English, Armenian Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University

ussian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU) is a unique establish- Rment which brings together the best of Armenian and Russian educational traditions. Since 1997, it has become one of the most successful joint endeavours in higher education in Armenia.

The university offers study programs in humanities and natural sciences at all three education levels. 18 Bachelor’s, 45 Master’s and four one-cycle Master of Art programmes are offered at five schools: the Institute of Mathematics and High Technology, the Institute of Economics and Business, the Institute of Law and Political Science, the Institute of Humanities, and the Institute of Media, Advertising and Film Art. Over 2,400 students are currently enrolled in RAU schools. Facts & Figures

XX RAU is a unique establishment which brings together the best of Armenian and Russian educational traditions.

XX 18 Bachelor’s, 45 Master’s and four one-cycle Master of Art programmes are offered at five schools.

XX The average tuition at RAU is €1,000 for Bachelor’ss.

The main language of instruction at versity of Glasgow in finance and RAU is Russian, and curricula are banking. Within the framework of based on higher education bench- these programmes students study marks and best practices from the the first half of the programme at Russian Federation. Bachelor’s RAU and finish their studies at the courses in applied mathematics and University of Glasgow. Upon success- informatics, economics, manage- ful completion of the programme, ment, finance, international -eco graduates obtain Master of Science nomics, accountancy and audit, mar- or Master of Finance degree from keting, services, law, international University of Glasgow and a Master’s relations, political science, and jour- degree from RAU, accredited by the nalism are also offered in Armenian. Russian and Armenian Ministries of Education and Science. Nine Master’s programmes are also available in English, run jointly RAU also offers six double-degree with leading European universities. MBA programmes jointly with the Indeed, RAU is one of the few uni- SBS Swiss Business School in entre- versities in Armenia that provides preneurship, global finances and multi- and double-degree Master’s banking, marketing, international programmes jointly with European management, tourism management, universities. RAU offers three multi- and human resources management. degree Master’s programs with Uni- Swiss professors deliver these pro- 124 grammes through offline and dis- To ensure high quality of teaching tance learning hybrid courses. Upon and research, RAU cooperates with successful completion of the pro- the National Academy of Science of gramme, graduates obtain a MBA de- the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) gree from both SBS and RAU. and attracts prominent academics and professors both from Armenia RAU graduates can be awarded double diplomas and abroad. RAU has thus secured recognised by the Armenian and Russian leadership and excellence in bioengi- governments. neering, bioinformatics, electronics, micro-electronics, and nanoelectron- RAU graduates can also be awarded ics. double diplomas recognised by the Armenian and Russian governments, The university’s 28 chairs, three which safeguards the credibility of joint facilities in collaboration with the qualifications and makes educa- the NASRA, specifically the Chair tion at RAU very attractive for inter- of Quantum and Optical Electron- national Russian-speaking students ics with the Institute of Physics Re- from the CIS region. Furthermore, search; Chair of Bioinformatics, since 2015, the university graduates Bioengineering and Molecular Biol- will be awarded joint Bachelor’s and ogy with the Institute of Molecular Master’s Degrees with leading tech- Biology; and the Chair of Telecom- nical universities in Russia: St. Pe- munications with Yerevan Telecom- tersburg State Polytechnic Universi- munication Research Institute and ty, St. Petersburg State University of more than ten research centres and Information Technologies, Mechan- laboratories, such as Institute of Rus- ics and Optics, the National Univer- sian Philology, Centre for Nanotech- sity of Science and Technology (MIS- nologies in Electronics, Laboratory iS), the Moscow Power Engineering of System Programming, Laboratory Institute (MPEI), Gubkin Russian for Molecular Biology and Medical State University of Oil and Gas, and Research offer excellent research fa- the National Research Nuclear Uni- cilities to RAU faculty and students. versity (MEPhI). To encourage excellence in research and innovation RAU offers two awards in best research. 125 The university publishes its research RAU library is one of the best facili- in humanities, social and natural sci- ties in Armenia with two reading ences in two volumes of the Vestnik halls, an area for poster presentation RAU journal. The best of RAU re- and exhibition, computers, a digital search occasionally appears in top repository, and internet access. RAU international peer-reviewed jour- provides students with free access to nals, such as Physical Review (A and more than 50 academic journals, on- B), Journal of Biomolecular Struc- line resources and valuable digital li- ture and Dynamics, British Journal braries and major collections of e- of Mathematics & Computer Science, journals, such as JSTOR, Royal Advances in Pure Mathematics, and Society Publishing, and the eBook Comparative Studies on Regional Academic Subscription Collection Powers. (EBSCO). As a member of the Elec- tronic Library Consortium of Arme-

126 nia (ELCA), RAU library also offers mation sessions on scholarship op- access to ELCA collections. portunities, such as DAAD, Visegrad Foundation, US-funded, and others. RAU library is one of the best facilities in In recent years, over 120 RAU stu- Armenia with two reading halls, an area for dents and staff have benefited from poster presentation and exhibition, computers, various mobility programmes. a digital repository, and internet access. RAU hosts various academic events, The university extends its global including RAU Annual Academic presence through various academic Conferences; VII International Fo- networks and relevant platforms, in- rum of Translators and Editors of cluding the Association of Asian Uni- CIS and Baltic States; International versities, the Eurasian Association of Conference on International Hu- Universities, the Association of Tech- manitarian Rights: Problems and nical Universities, the Association of Perspectives of Development; Inter- Law Universities, and the Interna- national Optical Society of America tional Association for Management Network of Students Conference; In- Development in Dynamic Societies. ternational Conference on Literature in the Changing World. The university promotes international academic exchanges for its staff and RAU staff and students are well rep- students by being actively involved in resented in international academic Erasmus Mundus initiatives, such fora, specifically physics, chemistry, as HERMES. Furthermore, RAU of- mathematics, and economics. The fers more than 15 bilateral short- and university encourages student par- long-term mobility programmes for ticipation in these events by provid- students in conjunction with part- ing full or partial funding, covering ner universities in Germany, Latvia, travel, accommodation and partici- the Russian Federation, Belarus, pation expenses. Ukraine, and Georgia. RAU strongly encourages student and staff par- RAU is the most attractive Armenian ticipation in academic exchanges by university for Russian nationals – ev- promoting opportunities on its web- ery fourth RAU student comes from site and by organising regular infor- Russia, Georgia, and CIS countries. 127 This diversity is a distinct feature of The university’s Department of In- the university’s culture, bringing to- ternational Cooperation offers a gether hundreds of young students of wide range of services to interna- Armenian descent from various tional students and staff, such as countries. The average tuition at visa assistance, immigration coun- RAU is €1,000 for Bachelor’s studies. selling, social services, health insur- RAU offers tuition waivers to socially ance, residence and work permits, disadvantaged groups, as well as accommodation, language courses, merit-based full and partial scholar- and cultural events. RAU also offers ships sponsored by the governments integrated language courses in Ar- of Armenia and the Russian Federa- menian, Russian, English, French, tion. German, Spanish, Turkish, Farsi and Arabic at all levels of proficiency. The university encourages student participation in academic fora by providing full RAU is actively chasing new market or partial funding. trends and entering into dialogue 128 with businesses in relevant indus- vinced many businesses to seek out tries. RAU ensures employability of successful candidates among RAU its students by providing robust in- graduates. RAU runs an employment ternship opportunities and extend- platform (umcu.rau.am) to consoli- ing its network with employers. The date its career services, where the growing credibility of the quality of students and alumni can learn about education at the university has con- job offers and vacancies. 

129 Bachelor’s Master’s €500 - €1,700 WWW www.era.am Doctoral €

1,300 students Research facilities goo.gl/vAQ5tm

30 international students

Ա Armenian, English The European Regional Academy

he European Regional Academy (ERA) is one of the several higher edu- Tcation institutions in Armenia which has emerged from multilateral cooperation in education. It offers 9 Bachelor’s, 16 Master’s programmes and 7 third-cycle programmes.

ERA’s four departments enrol over 1,300 students in different programmes in information technologies (IT), economics and management, law and international relations, linguistics, and tourism. The language of instruction is Armenian for the first two years of study, and English from the third.

The Department of Information Technologies offers courses ranging from management information systems and software development to the design of integrated circuits and communication systems. The educational laboratory Facts & Figures

XX ERA offers 9 Bachelor’s, 16 Master’s programmes and 7 third-cycle programmes.

XX ERA’s four departments enrol over 1,300 students in different programmes.

XX Tuition fees range from €500-1,700 for different programmes.

established in cooperation with Syn- become qualified managers, execu- opsys Armenia and VivaCell-MTS tives, economists, analysts and other further enhances the quality of IT business, finance, international trade education at ERA. The lab enables and logistics professionals. state-of-the-art integrated circuit design in an educational environment, The Department of Law and Inter- and is equipped with comprehensive national Relations provides courses educational packages of electronic on human rights, Armenian and Eu- design automation software, educa- ropean public and private law, inter- tional design kits, and interoperable national and comparative law, and design kits for 90-nanometre (nm) international politics and relations. and 32/28-nm technologies. The Department of Linguistics and ERA’s education laboratory enables state- Tourism focuses on English, French, of-the-art integrated circuit design in an German, Armenian, Russian and educational environment. Farsi language studies, as well as on planning, organising and managing The Department of Economics offers tourism and related services in both courses in Economics and Manage- public and private sectors. ment, Finance and Accounting, and Governance in Armenia and the EU. ERA has branches in Gyumri, Vana- Its programmes prepare students to dzor, Gavar and Ijevan, which of- 132 fer vocational education as well. scholarships are available from the Through these brances ERA pro- government, the Calouste Gulben- motes lifelong learning by providing kian Foundation, and other charities. professional development courses across the country. ERA’s Office for Support and Coun- selling to International Students ERA research interests include man- provides comprehensive assistance agement, economics, international related to admission, programmes, relations, comparative linguistics, student life, accommodation in Ar- and law. It publishes its research in menia, and visa and resident permits. the Annual Anthology of Research Although the academy does not have Papers, which includes a selection of its own dormitory, ERA helps stu- over 80 submissions by ERA staff dents to find accommodation in the and students. The academy encour- residence halls of partner universi- ages academic achievements among ties. The academy also provides lan- students, and thus supports the Stu- guage courses to international student Annual Conference. dents and organises cultural events regularly. ERA publishes its research in the Annual Anthology of Research Papers, which includes The academy promotes internships a selection of over 80 submissions by ERA in various public institutions, such staff and students. as the Armenian parliament, governmental ministries, diplomatic The academy cooperates with about missions of EU member states to 20 European universities and aca- Armenia, and intergovernmental demic institutions. Currently, about and international organisations (for 30 foreign students are enrolled in example United Nations agencies in various ERA programmes. Tuition Armenia and World Vision Arme- fees range from €500-1,700 for dif- nia).  ferent programmes. Full and partial

133 Bachelor’s €4,000 - €6,000 www.aua.am Master’s € WWW

1,200 students Research facilities www.facebook.com/AUArmenia

32 international students Dormitory www.youtube.com/user/auauploads

Ա English Erasmus+ twitter.com/auanewsroom American University of Armenia

he American University of Armenia (AUA) provides high-quality gradu- Tate and undergraduate education that encourages civic engagement and promotes democratic values. AUA fosters scholarship in a setting that values and develops academic excellence, free inquiry, integrity, scholarship, leadership, and service to society. AUA is accredited by the US-based WASC Senior College and University Commission, and is affiliated with the University of California.

AUA offers Master’s degrees in eight fields of study: business administration, industrial engineering and systems management, computer and information science, political science and international affairs, economics, law, teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), and public health, enjoying an affilia- tion with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It also offers a dual Master of Business Adminis- centres are a clear illustration of the tration/Master of Public Health pro- value of ties between university and gramme. AUA’s Bachelor’s pro- community through the application gramme offers degrees in English of knowledge and research. This al- and communications, computational lows AUA to find solutions to real- sciences, and business. Through world challenges: these courses, the university offers students depth of knowledge for ca- Computer and information sci- reer preparation and further study, as ence department staff and students well a foundation of general knowl- have developed a security algorithm edge and skills for lifelong learning. for Samsung video devices; Additionally, AUA offers graduate certificates in teaching English as a The cryptography team leads col- foreign language, translation, public laborative research projects with health, and environmental science NTX Research and the Volkswagen and conservation. Foundation;

AUA is accredited by the US-based WASC The School of Public Health works Senior College and University Commission, to improve control of tuberculosis and is affiliated with the University of among migrant workers. California. AUA operates research centres affiliated with AUA has a diverse faculty represent- each of the Master’s programmes. ing many different nationalities and cultures, which are key to ensuring AUA’s Turpanjian Rural Develop- excellence in education. Currently, ment Program (TRDP) provides edu- 44% of the faculty are foreign citi- cational and economic opportunities zens. AUA operates research centres to people in rural areas in Armenia affiliated with each of the Master’s and the Nagorno-Karabakh Repub- programmes, including the Acopian lic. Since 2006, 256 rural businesses Center for the Environment, the Cen- – auto repair shops, bakeries, retail ter for Responsible Mining, and the stores, internet clubs – have been Digital Library of Classical Armenian established and 433 jobs created Literature. These programmes and through TRDP support. AUA’s Tur- 136 panjian Center for Policy Analysis is AUA has a number of other centres able to draw on expertise from the which promote wider academic de- College of Humanities and Social Sci- velopment: ences’ permanent and visiting staff in its various projects. In addition to its The Center for Health Services regular researchers, the Center hosts Research and Development is an ap- research fellows and visiting schol- plied research facility that responds ars from both the United States and to public health research and devel- Europe. The Center also hires AUA opment needs in Armenia. students and graduates as short-term assistants for research projects, thus The Center for Business Research providing opportunities for direct and Development provides hands-on project participation and analysis. research experience to students, allowing them to apply concepts and

137 skills learned in the classroom di- ation and adoption of global best rectly to development projects. practices in socially, environmentally, and economically responsible The Engineering Research Cen- mining in Armenia and the South ter’s areas of focus include infor- Caucasus region. mation technology, cyber security, and artificial intelligence; logistics, Finally, areas of interest of the scheduling, optimisation, and busi- AUA Acopian Center for the Environ- ness process analysis; energy efficien- ment include environmental policy; cy and renewable energy; computer- sustainable natural resource man- aided design and manufacturing; agement; built and natural environ- civil and environmental engineering; ment; information technology and computational geometry. the natural environment. In 2013, the Center was appointed as the na- The Legal Resource Center is an tional coordinator for the “European integral part of the AUA Master of Breeding Bird Atlas 2” project by the Laws programme. The two comple- European Bird Census Council. The ment each other to promote inter- Center is working on the first ever national standards in legal educa- monitoring atlas on butterflies in Ar- tion and research with a focus on menia and is developing ecological law reform, legal-education reform, and ornithological education pro- and legal information dissemination grammes with local secondary through public events and online re- schools. It also partners with the sources. Blacksmith Institute and Armenian government to develop an inventory The Center for Research in Ap- of toxic waste sites in Armenia. plied Linguistics provides AUA TEFL students with a unique opportunity AGBU-Papazian Library boasts one of the most to experience teaching and engage in extensive collections of English-language print research activity first hand. and electronic materials in the entire region.

Through research, training, and Education and research at AUA are advocacy the AUA Center for Re- housed in a modern, state-of-the-art sponsible Mining promotes the cre- campus in the heart of Yerevan. One 138 of its strongest assets is the AGBU- videoconferencing facility for over 60 Papazian Library, which is also open participants. to the public. The library boasts one of the most extensive collections of AUA Extension holds a unique po- English-language print and elec- sition in Armenia and the region tronic materials in the entire region. as a centre for education and train- AUA’s Information and Communica- ing programmes, having served the tion Technologies Services Depart- community for the over 18 years. ment provides IT-related strategy, Close cooperation between AUA Ex- applications, infrastructure, and sup- tension and academic and research port services, ensuring that leading- programmes at the university have edge technology is readily accessible resulted in outstanding and sustain- to staff and students to complement able educational offerings to clients their teaching and learning experi- across corporate, governmental and ences. It also hosts the VivaCell-MTS non-profit organisations. Further- more, AUA Extension enrols thou- 139 Facts & Figures

XX Currently 1,200 students from 15 counries study in AUA.

XX Tuition fees for international students range from EUR 4,000 to EUR 6,000.

XX 44% of the faculty are foreign citizens. sands of students annually in lifelong student research conference with learning and certificate courses in the participation of students from Yerevan, Gyumri, Dilijan and Step- other Armenian universities. The anakert. programme hosted the 2010 IATEFL Virtual Conference, one of the most AUA is a centre of gravity for the local significant events in the TEFL world, and international academic commu- and convened the 2009 International nity, and regularly hosts high-quality Language Assessment Conference, academic events. In 2009-2013 AUA attended by more than 150 interna- hosted many international confer- tional scholars. ences, including “Reliability and Op- timization of Structural Systems”; The admissions process is the same “Emerging Issues in Environmental for all students, regardless of citizen- and Occupational Health: Mining ship or country of residence. Since and Construction in Transition Econ- the language of instruction at AUA omies”; “The International Criminal is English, all applicants must dem- Court and Armenia”; “Crossroads of onstrate sufficient proficiency in Psychology and Law”; “Rethinking English to successfully participate in Values, Norms and Institutions in courses at the university. For Bach- Armenia” seminar series. elor’s programmes, requirements include a complete application form Since 2012, the MA TEFL pro- and official certification of profi- gramme has organised an annual ciency in English and mathematics. 140 English-language proficiency is typi- part of the AUA community, contrib- cally demonstrated through TOEFL uting to the university’s diversity. iBT or IELTS. For Master’s studies, depending on the programme, ap- International students have the op- plicants may be required to take the portunity to obtain a US-accredited GRE, GMAT or LSAT. education at a fraction of the average US university cost. Tuition fees As of autumn 2014, AUA enrols over for international students range from 1,200 students from 15 countries in €4000-6000. International students addition to Armenia. Although the at AUA are also eligible to apply for majority of the students are from scholarships, which may cover up to Armenia, an increasing number 50% of tuition. are coming from abroad, including many diasporan Armenians. For in- For over a decade, AUA has contin- ternational students, AUA offers the ued to successfully pursue its ideals opportunity to experience learning of academic freedom, shared gover- in a fascinating and historically im- nance, social responsibility, interdis- portant centre of world civilization. ciplinary studies, and critical think- Interaction between local and in- ing. Imbued with these qualities, ternational students enriches their AUA graduates go on to assume lead- lives and fosters lifelong friendships. ership positions in society and serve Indeed, international students rep- as catalysts for positive change and resent a significant and inseparable advancement. 

I had never heard about Armenia before, but now I feel like I really belong here. I’m proud to carry AUA’s flag with me. I just think everything is possible now. I can do anything and my dreams will come true. Our professors are really engaged and are do- “ing everything possible to make sure that each student leaves AUA with a bright future.” Laura Vuchase Yenyie Cameron MA Teaching English as a Foreign Language 141 Bachelor’s Master’s Ա Armenian Erasmus+ Doctoral 1,000 students € €1,300 - €1,700 WWW www.conservatory.am

120 international students Research facilities www.facebook.com/EPKEE Komitas Yerevan State Conservatoire

omitas Yerevan State Conservatoire enjoys an outstanding reputation Kand has attracted talented young musicians for about a century. The conservatoire remains renowned for its diversity of styles, signature training, approaches, staff and alumni. The conservatoire is a successful and prestigious heir of the Russian school of classical music education. It is appreciated globally for its methodology which emphasises all dimensions of performance – the greatest possible technical ability and excellence in musicianship. Music education at the conservatoire bears the signature of Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Prokofiev, and other great musicians. Its own distinctive pool of Armenian composers – Komitas, Khachaturian, Babajanian, Mansurian, Alan Hovha- ness and many others – adds additional, unique quality to this incredibly rich texture of musical education,. The three departments and over 20 working as a member of a larger ar- chairs offer degree programmes from tistic community. Bachelor’s through to Doctoral studies. The curriculum is intense, com- It offers majors in piano, organ and bining classroom experience with collaborative piano, strings (violin, performance opportunities at every viola, cello, double bass, harp, gui- level. Within each programme, the tar), brass and woodwind (trumpet, conservatoire challenges students to trombone, French horn, tuba, flute, become mature and informed artists, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, contrabas- capable of making their own artistic soon, saxophone), percussion, choral and professional decisions while still and orchestral conducting, voice/opera, composition, and music theory. 144 The conservatoire is also home to aler Instrumentalwettbewerb jazz studies and folk music, including Markneukirchen, and many others. majors in voice and traditional Ar- menian instruments such as the The conservatoire staff include internationally duduk, varieties of a recorder (sring, renowned soloists, chamber and orchestral shvi), end-blown flute (blul), and musicians, and jazz artists, as well as leading string instruments, including tar, qa- paedagogues and scholars. non, kamancheh, oud, santur and bambir. Staff are also jury members at international competitions, such as the The conservatoire is also home to jazz studies Aram Khachaturian International and folk music, including majors in voice and Competition, the Komitas Interna- traditional Armenian instruments. tional Competition, the Sayat Nova International Composition Compe- The current staff are among the most tition, the Tariverdiev International respected composers and performers Organ Competition, Franz Liszt in Armenia today; their music is International Piano Competition, heard regularly in concert halls and International Piano Competition opera houses; in theatres and on Rome, Tongyeong International Mu- movie soundtracks; on all major re- sic Festival, the ARD International cord labels. Staff include internation- Music Competition, the Edvard Grieg ally renowned soloists, chamber and International Piano Competition, the orchestral musicians, and jazz art- Rachmaninoff International Piano ists, as well as leading paedagogues Competition, and the International and scholars. Among them are over a Johann Sebastian Bach Competition. hundred recipients of prizes in prestigious international competitions, Some staff are regularly invited to such as the Sydney International Pia- teach in other music schools across no Competition, the Queen Elisabeth the globe, giving recitals in Austria, Music Competition, Internationaler Germany, France, Belgium, the Neth- Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Wettbe- erlands, Lithuania, Norway, Den- werb, Internationaler Robert- mark, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Schumann-Wettbewerb, Concours Portugal, Greece, Russia, the USA, Long-Thibaud-Crespin, Internation- Iran, Japan, Turkey, and Georgia. 145 Facts & Figures

XX The Komitas Conservatoire currently trains about a thousand Bachelor’s and Master’s students.

XX Tuition fees for international students at the conservatoire vary from €1,300-1,700.

Their skills, talent, and dedication musical talent. It hands down knowl- are the cornerstone of the learning edge and brilliance in performance experience for Komitas Conserva- and composition from generation to toire students. generation. Thus, the Komitas Quar- tet, the world’s oldest string quartet The conservatoire provides excep- still performing, has the celebrated tional opportunities for world-class virtuoso Eduard Tadevosian and the musicians who visit Yerevan to give young talented Syuzi Yeritsyan on vi- concerts and masterclasses. Each olin, the renowned Aleksandr Kose- year, over 30 maestros from Germa- mian on viola, and the accomplished ny, the UK, Italy, France, Russia, the young musician Hasmik Vardanyan USA, Belgium, Spain and many other on cello. The quartet is a marvellous countries with a tradition of excel- advertisement for the high quality of lence in classical music exhibit their the conservatoire’s approach to its virtuosity at the conservatoire. majors in instrumental performance.

The conservatoire provides exceptional The conservatoire’s composition pro- opportunities for world-class musicians grammes have a distinguished histo- who visit Yerevan to give concerts and ry, and its conducting programme masterclasses. has a strong record of achievement of having trained many prominent or- The Komitas Conservatoire is a chestral conductors. Led by excellent shrine of hereditary, time-honoured staff committed to the educational 146 development of the next generation networking opportunities with staff of first-class vocalists, the voice/op- members, who often provide recom- era programmes prepare students for mendations for outside jobs and in- the challenges and rewards of profes- vite their students to perform with sional singing careers. The conserva- them. toire’s exciting and innovative jazz programme offers unparallelled pro- The conservatoire’s student-staff ratio of fessional performance opportunities approximately 2:1 ensures small class sizes designed to integrate students into a and a high degree of personalised attention for thriving jazz environment. Pro- each student. grammes in all departments offer a comprehensive repertoire built on Students can join orchestras, cham- the classical tradition of Western ber groups, or new music ensembles music. Students also have a unique at the conservatoire. Students also opportunity to learn Armenian clas- gain valuable experience by partici- sical music, an important part of or- pating in various educational or com- chestral repertoire. munity outreach initiatives. Series of regular competitions and concerts Programmes in all departments offer a offer additional opportunities for comprehensive repertoire built on the classical students to perform and feature their tradition of Western music. achievements. Being close to other universities in Yerevan and Gyumri, The Komitas Conservatoire currently students also have the chance to col- trains about a thousand Bachelor’s laborate in wider art projects. and Master’s students on its Yerevan and Gyumri campuses. Students ex- Students can further improve their perience a unique mentorship ap- art with performances in a fully- proach to studio instruction and en- staged opera studio – the heart of the joy ample performance opportunities. conservatoire. Its two stages are spe- The conservatoire’s student-staff ra- cifically designed to create a working tio of approximately 2:1 ensures environment that reflects the profes- small class sizes and a high degree of sional opera world. The opera studio personalised attention for each stu- provides high-quality professional dent. Students also enjoy informal training for musicians who have the 147 potential to become the leading art- of Yerevan, the city hosts the larg- ists of their generation. Trainees also est variety of music events. One can have regular opportunities to work walk through an oversubscribed day closely with leading directors and moving from one concert to another! conductors to prepare opera scenes Yerevan hosts over ten international for performance. music competitions and festivals throughout the year, which conser- Tthe Folkloristics Lab offers unique collections vatoire students can attend free of of Armenian medieval spiritual songs and charge or enjoy discounts: hymns, and over 15,000 samples of folk music assembled over the past seven decades. The Yerevan Perspectives Inter- national Music Festival welcomes Tthe Folkloristics Lab offers unique aficionados of classical music to en- collections of Armenian medieval joy the performances of world-re- spiritual songs and hymns (shara- nowned musicians Pinchas Zucker- kans), and over 15,000 samples of man, Camerata Salzbug, and Daniel folk music assembled over the past Barenboim, to name but a few. seven decades. The audio archive at the Komitas Conservatoire provides The Aram Khachaturian Interna- access to all formats of recorded tional Competition brings together music, including collections of rare promising young talents and famous recordings dating back to the late musicians to excel on the piano, vio- 19th century. The Yerevan campus lin and cello. provides access to free Wi-Fi and internet resources. The conservatoire The Veradardz (Return) Festival publishes its own periodical, Musical of Classical Music hosts famous Ar- Armenia. menian musicians across the world every year. Part of the vibrant educational mi- lieu that the conservatoire offers The Babajanian International is its central location in the heart Piano Competition-Festival features of the city. This allows students to junior performers. access numerous cultural events. Within a thousand-kilometre radius 148 The Renaissance International and graduates to study or work in Contest-Festival in Gyumri brings the US and Canada since 2005. The together over 2,500 performers from conservatoire facilitates academic more than 30 countries. exchange and mobility of its staff and students through bilateral coop- The Komitas Conservatoire collabo- eration and participation in Erasmus rates with other conservatoires, mu- Mundus initiatives; currently it is an sic and art schools worldwide, such associate partner in the IANUS II as the Moscow Tchaikovsky Con- project. servatory (Russia), Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, Rimsky-Korsa- The conservatoire has over 120 stu- kov Saint Petersburg State Conserva- dents from France, Germany, Latvia, tory, Vienna University of Music and Australia, Canada, the USA, Rus- Performing Arts (Austria), Conser- sia, Georgia, China, Iran, and Syria, vatorium van Amsterdam (the Neth- as well as other countries from the erlands), the Royal Conservatory of Middle East enrolled at all levels. The Brussels (Belgium), the Royal Con- most attractive programmes for in- servatoire of Scotland, the University ternational students include majors of Agder (Norway), Michigan State in piano, violin and saxophone. For University College of Music (USA), many international students, educa- the Estonian Academy of Music and tion at the Komitas Conservatoire is Theatre, the Lithuanian Academy a stepping stone for further studies in of Music and Theatre, Jāzeps Vītols Europe and Russia. Latvian Academy of Music, and the Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Georgia). Tuition fees for international students at the conservatoire vary from The conservatoire is a member of the €1,300-1,700. Partial discounts are Association Européenne des Conser- available for international students vatoires and Académies de Musique of Armenian descent. The conserva- et Musikhochschulen (AEC). The toire also offers eleven merit-based Komitas Conservatoire cooperates scholarships. with the World Education Service (WES), and this cooperation has re- While the programmes are offered sulted in possibilities for students mainly in Armenian, there are in- 149 creasingly more staff capable of in- monic, the London Philharmonic, struction in Farsi, Russian, English the Seoul Philharmonic, the Osaka and French. Nevertheless, linguistic Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow challenges are often overcome Academic State Symphony Orches- through the universal language of tra, the Moscow Chamber Orches- music. The conservatoire offers Ar- tra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, menian-language and other prepara- the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the tory courses to international stu- Dresdner Philharmonie and Dres- dents. den Staatskapelle, Potsdamer Kam- merakademie, the Deutsche Radio The conservatoire offers Armenian-language Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiser- and other preparatory courses to international slautern, the Munich Symphony Or- students. chestra, the Würzburg Philharmonic, the Munich and Hamburg Cham- The International Relations Office ber Orchestras, the Philharmonic provides comprehensive support to Orchestra of Russia, the Pasadena international students and staff re- Symphony Orchestra, Kärntner Sin- lated to admission, travel and accom- fonieorcheste, the Paderewski Po- modation. meranian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orches- Graduates of the conservatoire ap- tra, and the Brussels Philharmonic pear on major European stages with Orchestra. top-notch orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the For about a century, thousands of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the successful musicians have started London Symphony Orchestra, the their careers at the Komitas Conser- Bavarian Radio Symphony Orches- vatoire, including household names tra, the Munich Philharmonic, the such as Alexander Arutiunian, Kon- Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Ange- stantin Orbelian, Tigran Hamasian les Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Phil- and Vahagn Hayrapetyan, and count- harmonic, the Baden-Baden Radio less others in every branch of the mu- Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberger sic profession. Celebrated graduates Symphoniker, the Vienna Symphony of the conservatoire include Avet Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philhar- Terteryan, Svetlana Navasardyan, 150 Stepan Shakaryan, Medea Abraha- myan, Robert Amirkhanyan, Hasmik Papyan, and Eduard Topchjan. 

There are several reasons why I have chosen to study at the Yerevan State Conservatoire. First, I wanted to learn Armenian. Second, I have heard a lot about the signature school and tradition of the university, and I wanted to experience it. Third, I preferred to study in a specialized music school. If I were “to study music in Greece, I would have to apply to a university, as there is no conservatoire there. It felt strange that I would need to pass exams in math and Lat- in, but no one would care about how I played the violin… Whereas here in Yere- van the admission committee first wants to know how well you already perform.

What I appreciate the most here is individualized instruction. I am lucky to have an excellent tutor who can spend hours with me perfecting my performance.

I also love Yerevan! It is a very musical city. You can walk downtown in the evening and find all kinds of concerts at every corner: jazz, rock, classical…

Aggeliki Lalabekova Greece BA Violin 151 Bachelor’s Master’s Research facilities Doctoral

1,000 students WWW www.ysitc.am

30 international students goo.gl/L3zdWZ

€ €600 - €1,000 www.youtube.com/user/YSITC The Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema

he Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema (YSITC) provides op- Tportunities for diverse, talented students to explore theatre and film as distinct art forms, or to combine these disciplines in exciting ways. It offers professional training that imaginatively balances theory and practice in order to develop artists and scholars who can use their voices, work and research to enlighten, engage and inspire change for a better world. YSTIC has created an environment in which performing stars, storytellers, scholars and the industry leaders of tomorrow begin their journey.

YSTIC’s three departments offer 13 Bachelor’s, 11 Master’s and Doctoral programmes, enrolling approximately 1,000 students on campuses in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Goris. The Department of Theatre offers past masters of film and television, programmes in acting, directing and encourage students to aspire to and dance. The acting programme similar accomplishments. The insti- provides students with the opportu- tute empowers the creative innova- nity to pursue comprehensive act- tors of tomorrow by training students ing training and to collaborate fully in all aspects of the arts and crafts of with other theatre artists. Different film and animation, from the aes- acting courses move from basic pro- thetic to the technological. While all cess work to detailed exploration of media technologies are means to cre- specific technical and stylistic de- ative ends and not ends in them- mands of drama, musical, panto- selves, YSITC helps students to be mime, puppets and marionettes. The actively engaged in the digital and guiding vision for YSTIC’s directing telecommunications revolution that programme is its deep commitment is transforming all areas of contem- to telling stories through theatrical porary culture. Staff and students work and dance, exploring available work together to unpack the social, technologies and movements. These political, cultural, and economic sig- comprehensive programmes com- nificance of film, television, and digi- bine the critical study of theatre with tal media. experiential practice. Students explore various areas of theatre to build YSITC has large studios for acting classes, a foundation for future creative work. musical theatre classes and rehearsals, as well as its Educational Theatre. The Department of Film, Television and Animation offers study pro- The strong academic foundations of grammes in the history and theory, these programmes are enhanced by as well as the creative and technical access to exceptional resources of- aspects, of moving images, such as fered by the YSITC Film and Televi- film and television production,- nar sion Archive. The institute has large rative film, documentary and anima- studios for acting classes, musical tion directing, cinematography, cam- theatre classes and rehearsals, as era directing, sound editing, scene, well as its Educational Theatre. The and stage and costume design. The Learning Centre of Creative Technol- programmes explore the best work of ogies offers a learning environment 154 to experiment and create. Through ter’s study on research and scholar- classroom study, studio and lab ship in the history, literature, and preparation, field studies, and stage criticism of the theatre and film, and productions students are challenged who may also plan to continue grad- to pursue their commitment to indi- uate work in a doctoral programme. vidual excellence and collaboration, It also prepares students who wish to discover the passion for discipline, focus more intensively on perfor- and develop a firm grounding in the mance and production in prepara- core components of live and medi- tion for a career in the profession. ated performance. The curricula of YSITC offer a robust selection The Department of History, Theory of courses, from introductory to advanced and Management of Art offers inter- levels, and from both creative and critical disciplinary studies in the arts. The perspectives. Master of Arts degree prepares students who want to focus their Mas- 155 The curricula of the institute offer a to regularly attend masterclasses of robust selection of courses, from in- world class maestros such as Tonino troductory to advanced levels, and Guerra, Krzysztof Zanussi, Jos Stell- from both creative and critical per- ing, and Garri Bardin. spectives. The excellence of teaching is ensured under the mentorship of Studying theatre and film in Yerevan, industry leaders, YSITC’s award- one of the largest cultural centres in winning staff and distinguished vis- the South Caucasus region, allows iting artists and scholars. Students students to enjoy the bohemian am- have the possibility to share their in- biance of the city all year long. There novative voices and build distinctive, are about 20 theatres in the city ac- successful careers in every medium commodating almost all styles of the- and on every entertainment and per- atre, from classical to absurd and forming arts platform – mainstream, postmodern. Yerevan offers a nation- independent or digital. YSITC stu- al flavour to global performance art dents have the unique opportunity through its own shadow theatre 156 Ayrogi, a favourite pastime since the Fest – the Armenian International middle ages. Furthermore, every sea- Student and Youth Programme. son offers a signature festival, many of which are now internationally ac- Another highly acclaimed theatre claimed theatre and film events. event in the country is the Yerevan Summers in Armenia witness the International Shakespeare Festival, Golden Apricot Yerevan Internation- which celebrates classical and mod- al Film Festival, which presents the ern interpretations of Shakespeare. best cinema in the world and invites The ArmMono One Man Show In- the most renowned filmmakers in ternational Festival invites the most contemporary film. To name a few, extraordinary mono performances, Godfrey Reggio, Abbas Kiarostami, integrating dance, music and con- Artavazd Peleshian, Charles temporary drama from around the Aznavour, Fanny Ardent, Alexander world. The One Square Metre The- Sokurov, Atom Egoyan, and many atre Festival is another excellent others have been among the honor- experimental opportunity – artists ary guests of the festival. have 45 minutes on one square metre and can choose any creative genre Studying theatre and film in Yerevan, one and style. of the largest cultural centres in the South Caucasus region, allows students to enjoy the Armenia regularly hosts many other bohemian ambiance of the city all year long. international events in the industry. The biennial Leonid Yengibaryan An event of equal status in the theatre International Mime Festival near industry, the “HighFest” internation- Yerevan is another outstanding sum- al performing arts festival, welcomes mer event which offers an open-air companies and artists in theatre, performance, a professional forum, dance, music and other forms of per- theatre workshops, masterclasses, forming arts. This is an incredibly ex- and feedback evenings to YSITC stu- pressive and aesthetic forum for students. dents of theatre, as there is a special student event alongside the festival’s YSITC is a member of the UNESCO- main and fringe programmes: Arms ITI Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts, and played a 157 Facts & Figures

XX YSTIC’s three departments offer 13 Bachelor’s, 11 Master’s and Doctoral programmes.

XX Over 1,000 students are enrolled in YSTIC.

XX Tuition fees vary from €600-1,000.

key role in hosting the International journalists, animators, educators, Theatre Institute World Congress and executives. 2014 in Yerevan. YSITC staff are often conceptual drivers of many of These students join a community of these cultural events, contributing remarkable alumni that includes win- professional insights and the wealth ners and nominees of the Festival de of their artistic connections. They Cannes, the Venice Film Festival, the also inspire students towards cre- Hong Kong International Film Fes- ative excellence and involvement in tival, the International Filmfestival these vibrant cultural milieus. Mannheim-Heidelberg, the Trieste Film Festival, the Lille Short Film Students seeking professional ca- Festival, the International Short Film reers, preparing for advanced degree Festival Oberhausen, and the Vil- programmes, or pursuing interdisci- nius International Film Festival. Ac- plinary studies in the arts extensively complished alumni include: Henrik participate in the theatrical, film- Malyan, Edmond Keosayan, Aghasi production and media industry. In- Ayvazyan, Nerses Hovhannisyan, deed, YSITC graduates have an array Nikolay Tsaturyan, Albert Mkrtchy- of potential career paths to choose an, Vigen Chaldranyan, Genadi Mel- from. Many graduates go on to work konyan, Yervand Manaryan, Henry as successful writers, producers, di- Markaryan, Suren Babayan, Mher rectors, editors, cinematographers, Mkrtchyan, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, 158 Sos Sargsyan, Galya Novents, Khoren als from Georgia, Russia, Syria, Iran, Abrahamyan, Metaksia Simonyan, Jordan, Bulgaria and the USA are Svetlana Grigoryan, Guzh Manuky- currently enrolled in various Arme- an, Hovak Galoyan, and Vladimir nian-language programmes. Tuition Msryan. YSITC also has an amazing fees vary from €600-1,000. Full and array of alumni breaking new ground partial scholarships are available to in animation, directing, writing, de- students based on merit or social vul- signing, producing, running shows, nerability. YSITC’s International Of- scholarship, and digital innovation, fice offers comprehensive support to such as Henrik Hovhannisyan, Jivan international students on issues re- Avetisyan and Armen Elbakyan. lated to admission, accommodation, visas, and residence permits.  This plethora of achievements is attracting a growing number of international students. About 30 nation-

159 Bachelor’s Armenian, French www.ufar.am Master’s Ա WWW

900 students € €1,200 www.facebook.com/ufar.am

35 international students Erasmus+ Fondation Université Française en Arménie

ondation Université Française en Arménie (UFAR) is a French-language Fhigher education institution in Armenia which promotes European standards of quality education.

UFAR’s four departments offer four Bachelor’s and three Master’s programmes, which enrol over 900 students. The Bachelor’s programmes focus on law, management, marketing and finance (banking and insurance); the Master’s programmes offer advanced studies in international business law, finance and audit, and international marketing. All of these programmes are offered jointly with the Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University, UFAR’s key academic partner. Another Master’s programme in Cultural Communication, Tourism and Management is also available jointly with Toulouse 1 Capitole University. Facts & Figures

XX UFAR’s four departments offer four Bachelor’s and three Master’s programmes,

XX Over 900 students are enrolled in UFAR.

XX 20-50% of courses are delivered in French.

XX Tuition fee is approximately €1,200.

UFAR programmes use the curricula Moulin Lyon 3 University (French of their French counterparts, adapt- Licence and Masters degrees). The ed to Armenian higher education quality of teaching and integration of needs and the learning environment. curricula are ensured through the ex- Thus, from the third year of educa- tensive presence of French lecturers tion the university offers bilingual in- and administrative staff at UFAR. struction: 20-50% of courses are de- More than one third of faculty come livered in French. The university from France or other European coun- emphasises the multilingual capaci- tries. ties of future managers, leaders and businesspeople by offering them in- The quality of teaching and integration tensive courses in French, English, of curricula is ensured through the Armenian, German, Spanish and extensive presence of French lecturers and Russian. administrative staff at UFAR.

Master’s programmes are offered jointly with The university has introduced the the Jean Moulin Lyon 3 Universityand Toulouse European tradition of excelling 1 Capitole University. through practice. It supports student enterprises, which facilitate the inte- Graduates are awarded degrees and gration of learning and service deliv- double diplomas by UFAR and Jean ery. Thus, Junior UFAR is the uni- 162 versity’s professional student helps students to plan career paths association which allows students to by bridging the knowledge of theory engage in solutions of real-world and the challenges of practice. problems, for example in business and trade. The clients of Junior Three computer labs provide full access to UFAR include entrepreneurs, small- internet and multimedia resources, as well and medium-size businesses and as a unique collection of French-language business associations. The Junior resources. Marketing Communication (JMC) is another UFAR enterprise which

163 UFAR offers fully fledged teaching professional literature, e-journals and learning facilities, including dis- and the French-language Encyclopæ- tance learning courses. Three com- dia Universalis. puter labs provide full access to internet and multimedia resources, as well The university is the lead promoter of as a unique collection of French-lan- French as an international language, guage resources. UFAR library, with as well as cultural and linguistic diver- its specious reading hall and three sity in Armenia. It strives to connect study rooms, provides an excellent Armenians and other Europeans, us- environment for individual study, ing French as a common language in including access to Jean Moulin III education to be a universal platform University library. UFAR hosts the for knowledge exchange. UFAR is Information Centre of Francophone a member of AUF and Réseau des University Association (Agence uni- Chaires Senghor de la Francophonie versitaire de la Francophonie/AUF), (RCSF). The university cooperates which provides a rich database of with the European Foundation for 164 Management Development (EFMD), well as public institutions in France Europe’s largest network association and Belgium. Annually, about 40 stu- in the field of management develop- dents at the last year of their Bachelor ment. UFAR is also the coordinator studies are granted such opportuni- of the Tempus TNE_QA project. ties and receive funding from partner institutions. Currently, over 35 international students are studying at UFAR. Tuition UFAR engages employers at vari- fee is approximately €1,200. Full and ous stages of the learning process, partial scholarships are offered vari- such as revision of curricula and new ous charities and private donors. programme design. In this way, the UFAR’s Office of External Relations Bachelor’s programme in banking consults foreign students on issuers and insurance has been designed in related to admission, visa, residence close cooperation with the Union of permits and other relevant proce- Banks of Armenia, and funding has dures. French courses are available been provided by Acba-Credit Agri- to applicants of Master’s pro- cole Bank. grammes. UFAR graduates are among the most UFAR offers a unique opportunity to undertake competitive in Armenia and the wid- internships with businesses in relevant er region. About 80% of graduates go industries, as well as public institutions in on to successfully pursue respective France and Belgium. careers. 

The university offers a unique opportunity to undertake internships with businesses in relevant industries, as

165 Bachelor’s Master’s Research facilities WWW www.yafa.am Doctoral

860 students www.facebook.com/ Erasmus+ yerevanacademyoffinearts

€600 - €1,200 www.youtube.com/user/ € Yerevanacademyofarts Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts

erevan State Academy of Fine Arts (YSAFA) is a leading Armenian art Yand design institution with an international reputation. YSAFA continues a long and proud tradition of intellectual rigour, innovative knowledge, and creative arts. The academy is committed to examining and supporting both the means by which fine art is made – the rich array of positions, techniques, methods and materials that artists use to develop their work – as well as the subjects, ideas and issues that are successfully articulated by art.

The academy is dedicated to fostering an educational environment that is professional, practice oriented, innovative, and simultaneously rooted in history and critical theory. The academy offers a wide range of encourage experimentation within study programmes up to a Doctoral every artistic medium, from sculp- level. Its four-year Bachelor’s pro- ture and graphics to multimedia and grammes merge critical theory with industrial design. Renowned art the- community and studio practice; orists and critics from Europe, the the two-year Master’s programmes Americas and Asia are frequent further prepare students to engage speakers at the academy. and compete in a growing creative economy, where the demand for vi- YSAFA is committed to a solid studio-based sual art, design, and media talent is experience for students in fine art and design. increasing exponentially. These professional programmes enable stu- The Department of Fine Arts offers dents to engage in a range of diverse programmes in painting, sculpture, and expanding sectors of culture and graphics, and the history and theory creative industry. Graduates dem- of art. The curricula are flexible, tai- onstrate significant expertise in the lored and multidisciplinary, and are application of creative knowledge in based on the learning needs of stu- their field. dents. This encourages them to develop new and innovative ways of More than 860 students are enrolled thinking and creating. The academy in its two departments – Fine Arts provides each student with the op- and Design, and Decorative Applied portunity to develop a distinct style Arts – in Yerevan and on two cam- in the studios and workshops along- puses in Gyumri and Dilijan. YSAFA side like-minded artists. The main is committed to a solid studio-based focus in sculpture studies is techni- experience for students in fine art cal, visual and conceptual issues es- and design – an experience balanced sential to the development of sculp- with relevant, complementary liberal tural skills in easel, monumental, studies and practical theory. The re- animalistic and decorative sculp- sult is a rigorous studio programme, tures. The study of human body which produces innovative thinkers, structure, proportionality and plas- creative problem solvers, and visual- tics is also offered. The programme ly talented students. Staff include underpins the use of sculpture in ar- prominent artists and designers who chitectural projects. The knowledge 168 and skills gained in studios is refined Theory programme offers courses in during internships in the studios of the history of art, architecture, the- renowned sculptors. The graphics atre, and music, ethnography, and programme particularly focuses on archaeology. It offers internships in the in-depth knowledge of tech- exhibition halls, galleries, museums, niques and technologies, such as li- public archives, and publishing hous- thography, linography, zincography, es. etching and different types of engrav- ing. The programme also offers in- The knowledge and skills gained in studios ternships in YSAFA laboratory and in is refined during internships in the studios of publishing and printing houses renowned sculptors. across Yerevan. The Art History and 169 The Department of Design and dio practice integrate methodological Decorative Applied Arts offers pro- threads that span diverse fields of grammes in design, applied arts, cultural production. Seminars offer a fashion design, computer graphics, constructive environment for dis- and digital arts. Students are also of- course and critique, while a series of fered advanced studies in the history lectures and studio visits to renowned and philosophy of art, design, tech- artists inform and supplement stu- nology, urbanism, landscape, ecol- dent practice. ogy, and conservation, among others. The exceptional academic setting of- Excellently equipped studios and laboratories fers considerable learning opportu- provide the ideal working conditions for all nities to comprehend the incredible intellectual, creative and artistic processes. richness of techniques and technologies in applied arts, and the history, YSAFA facilities and resources sup- origins and traditions of national ap- port student learning, research and plied arts and modern innovations academic programmes. Its campuses and interpretations. The programme provide fully fledged facilities and a in fashion design offers a challeng- vibrant community of artists and afi- ing curriculum to bring about a va- cionados to inspire students. Well- riety of solutions to complex model- equipped studios and laboratories ling problems, the development of provide the ideal working conditions modelling projects in line with new for all intellectual, creative and artis- trends in contemporary fashion and tic processes. Traditionally, students high aesthetic taste, and the genera- exhibit their works at the Albert and tion of compositional ideas and their Tove Boyajian Gallery, the academy’s fruition into real life. Courses offered official exhibition hall. YSAFA organ- include composition, technology, ises over 50 exhibits every year in its design, architectonics, and national three campuses and in art galleries attire. It also offers a challenging in- across the region. It is also an essen- ternship, the pinnacle of which is a tial contributor to and promoter of student fashion show. all kinds of arts events in the country. Thus, the academy’s Gyumri campus The interdisciplinary Master’s pro- hosted the 6th ReAnimania Interna- grammes in research, theory and stu- tional Animation Film Festival, a key 170 event which brings together anima- creative techniques, and exhibit tors and artists from as many as 40 works. countries. YSAFA strives to make its students’ YSAFA organises over 50 exhibits every year learning experience interesting, sup- in its three campuses and in art galleries portive and dynamic though occa- across the region. sional field trips to picturesque sites in Armenia and Georgia, as well as The academy makes its workshop open-air workshops. Masterclasses at the Cité Internationale des Arts are offered to students on the or- in Paris (France) available to staff namental techniques of khachkars and students for short or long stays (cross stones), a signature of Arme- (2 months to 1 year). Here they can nian art on the UNESCO list of In- practise artistic discipline, develop tangible Cultural Heritage. These exceptional classes are organised at the

171 Facts & Figures

XX Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts (YSAFA) is a leading Armenian art and design institution with an international reputation.

XX More than 860 students are enrolled in its two departments – Fine Arts and Design, and Decorative Applied Arts – in Yerevan and on two campuses in Gyumri and Dilijan.

XX Over 800 students are enrolled in YSAFA.

XX Tuition fees at the academy range from €600-1,200

Noratus medieval cemetery, which nals, as well as the YSAFA Yearbook has the largest cluster of khachkars of Studies in Art and Humanities. dating back to the late 10th century. Armenia’s rich cultural heritage and The YSAFA Research Centre was recently its many different galleries and art established on the Yerevan campus to enhance centres embrace students with a vi- research in the fine arts. brant bohemian spirit. YSAFA successfully cooperates with Staff expertise covers a broad spec- partner art schools in France, such as trum of interests and individual, col- the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des laborative and interdisciplinary re- Beaux-Arts, L’Ecole Supérieure d’Art search. The YSAFA Research Centre et de Design de Reims, L’École Natio- was recently established on the Yere- nale Supérieure d’art de Limoges, van campus to enhance research in École Nationale Supérieure des the fine arts. Annually, the staff and Beaux-Arts de Lyon, the Écoles Su- students of the academy publish over périeures des Beaux-Arts de Tours, 80 articles in various local and inter- Angers et Le Mans, and L’École Su- national popular and academic jour- périeure d’Art et de Design Marseille- Méditerranée. This map of partner- 172 ships extends across Europe, This cooperation ensures extensive involving the Tomas Bata University student mobility and academic ex- in Zlín (Czech Republic); Stieglitz change. In addition, YSAFA provides Saint Petersburg State Art and In- learning opportunities in the Hermit- dustry Academy (Russia); Art Acad- age Museum in St. Petersburg, one of emy of Latvia and Institute of Infor- the largest and oldest repositories of mation Systems Management artwork across time and from all over (ISMA); Accademia di Belle Arti di the globe. The academy also partici- Firenze (Italy); Kyiv National Acade- pates in Tempus GOVERN, PICASA, my of Fine Arts and Architecture and ESPAQ, VERITAS and ALIGN proj- Lviv National Academy of Arts ects, and is a partner in the Erasmus (Ukraine); Braunschweig University Mundus HUMERIA programme. of Art (Germany); Estonian Academy of Arts; Belarusian State Academy of The academy consistently attracts Arts; Apolon Kutateladze Tbilisi international students from Greece, State Academy of Arts and Batumi the USA, the Netherlands, Russia, Art Teaching University (Georgia). Iran, Syria and Georgia. Today, one in seven YSAFA students comes from YSAFA provides learning opportunities in the abroad. Tuition fees at the academy Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, one of range from €600-1200.  the largest and oldest repositories of artwork across time and from all over the globe.

173 Master’s Doctoral € €800 - €1,200 WWW www.paara.am

500 students Research facilities www.facebook.com/paara.am

Ա Armenian Erasmus+ twitter.com/HHPKA Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia

he Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia (PAARA) Tis the only higher educational institution that specifically targets the needs of the public service sector. It was created to democratise access to the senior civil service and is now entrusted with the initial training of senior Ar- menian officials. It is the one of the most elite Armenian schools and has a de facto quasi-monopoly over access to some of the most prestigious positions in the Armenian civil service.

The academy offers a two-year Master’s programme in public administration, legal studies, management, political science and psychology. In addition, through its PhD studies, it supports social science research in relevant disciplines, such as public law, general theory of law and state, history of legal and state theories, economics and management, political institutions and processes, and social psychol- personal profiling. Identifying their ogy. The Master’s programmes of leadership, communication and the academy equip students with the management skills allows PAARA to skills, perspectives, and nuanced un- offer them tailored programmes and derstanding they need to be effective thereby enhance their learning curve. leaders in solving public issues. The Project-based teaching and self- tuition for these programmes ranges learning are two key approaches to from €800-1200. PAARA enrols over education at the academy, which are 500 students. complemented with regular academic activities involving high-ranking The academy is also a key provider of officials from the public sector. To lifelong professional development ensure high relevance of knowledge and career enhancement opportuni- and skills, the academy designs its ties for civil servants. Every year, programmes in close collaboration more than 1,400 civil servants and with institutions in the private, pub- representatives of local government lic and non-governmental sectors. participate in training offered by Some courses in legal studies are of- PAARA. The academic and training fered jointly with the Institute of Fo- curricula are designed to be flexible, rensic Investigations. allowing students and practitioners to pursue their personal and profes- The academy actively seeks coopera- sional aspirations through distance tion with international partners, and and e-learning modules. The added regularly invites visiting professors value of these programmes is the and hosts special courses offered availability of consulting and men- by these partners. PAARA hosted a toring schemes. six-month course on Strategic Man- agement of Companies offered by The academy is a key provider of lifelong the Aix-en-Provence Institute of Po- professional development and career litical Studies. PAARA has hosted enhancement opportunities for civil servants. lecturers from partner universities, including the National University of PAARA emphasises the human di- Public Service (Hungary), the School mension of public administration of Public Policy and Administration and, thus, offers students initial of Carleton University (Canada), 176 the University of Kansas’s School of as well as on assessing the impact of Public Affairs and Administration regional developments on Armenian (USA), Maastricht University (the communities in the countries of the Netherlands), Moscow City Univer- region. sity of Psychology & Education (Rus- sia), among others. Guest speakers PAARA’s research is published in the from the California Bar Association, academy’s journal Public Administration. California State Senate Judiciary Committee, and the President of PAARA’s research is published in the Ukraine’s National Academy for academy’s journal Public Adminis- Public Administration also frequent tration. The editorial board compris- academic events at PAARA. Perhaps es seven international scholars from one of the best indicators of PAARA’s Canada, Ukraine, Russia and Belar- commitment to internationalisation us, inter alia. Academy students and is the appointment of one of the most staff publish over 100 articles in both renowned European academics with local and international journals an- vast experience of teaching in pub- nually. PAARA encourages student lic administration and modernising involvement in academic life through public administrative management its annual student conferences. The as the vice-rector. academy also offers excellent additional learning facilities, such as a The academy invests in research in rich multilingual library with access order to prioritise the role of evi- to online collections of peer-reviewed dence-based policy making. There- journals, such as SpingerLink and fore, the research of the Laboratory EBSCOhost, to a computer lab, and of Research in the Psychology of free Wi-Fi. Governance is aimed at improving the quality of management and ad- The academy offers excellent learning ministration through increasing the facilities, such as a rich multilingual library efficiency of officials at all levels. The with access to online collections of peer- Centre for Regional Studies focuses reviewed journals. on trends in regional developments and evidence-based policies in the PAARA staff and students are ac- South Caucasus and the Middle East, tive participants in various academic 177 Facts & Figures

XX PAARA is the only higher educational institution that specifically targets the needs of the public service sector.

XX PAARA enrols over 500 students currently.

XX Every year, more than 1,400 civil servants and representatives of local government participate in training offered by PAARA.

events across the country, adopting PAARA is a partner in Tempus proj- knowledge and evidence from vari- ects, specifically ASPIRE, VERITAS ous disciplines into their own teach- and GOVERN. The academy offers ing and learning processes. They also two dual degree Master’s pro- also actively contribute to relevant grammes with the support of the international events. In particular, Competitive Innovation Fund for PAARA is a member of the European Higher Education Institutions (CIF): Network of Training Organisations “E-governance” and “E-business ad- for Local and Regional Authorities ministration”. The latter is developed (ENTO), which initiates exchange and taught in consortium with anoth- of information and experiences on er Armenian university - the Eurasia a wide array of important concerns International University, and Myko- facing local governments and train- las Romeris University in Lithuania, ing institutions. It is also a member of as well as Microsoft Armenia and the the Network of Institutes and Schools Union of Information Technology of Public Administration in Central Enterprises (UITE). and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee), that consolidates a genuine effort of The academy prides itself on success- the region’s peoples and institutions fully bridging learning and practice. to share knowledge and skills, and to Since the majority of its teaching project and address challenges. staff are high-ranking officials and 178 senior-level civil servants, PAARA of- PAARA closely cooperates with the fers excellent internship opportuni- private sector as well, and a small ties in various government agencies number of internships are available and beyond. Students can hone their in leading companies, such as Viva- skills and build up capacities through Cell MTS and Ingo Armenia. internships in the President’s Office, the National Assembly, the Constitu- PAARA offers excellent internship opportunities tional Court, the Human Rights De- in various government agencies and beyond fender’s Office, and almost all other ministries and adjacent agencies. Due to these collaborations and the fact that the majority of its teaching Internship opportunities are also staff are also potential employers, available in partner institutions there are significant advantages to abroad, such as the Franco-Arme- studying at PAARA. Indeed, PAARA nian Chamber of Commerce and In- graduates are in high demand, with dustry (FACCI), 13 and 14 municipal approximately 90% of them em- arrondissements of Marseille, and ployed in either the public or private Haigazian University in Beirut. The sector.  academy makes merit-based funding available for these internships.

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Institutions enhancing academic mobility and recognition, education quality and research, and student participation

National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

he National Academy of Sci- interested audiences. The National Tences of the Republic of Arme- Academy of Sciences offers solicited nia (NAS RA) is the highest self-gov- and unsolicited advice to the Arme- erning scientific organisation with nian government, universities and special legal status recognised by the research institutes, funding agencies state. Founded in 1943, in the middle and international organizations. of the World War Two, the National Academy of Sciences brings together In addition to various advisory and men and women from all branches administrative functions it operates of learning who have made remark- a 34 research institutes and centres able contributions in the arts, the hu- which engage over 3700 research- manities and the sciences, as well as ers and assistant staff. This official in Armenian public life. academic society brings together 124 members. It has also four honorary Election to the Academy is consid- and 111 foreign members, as well as ered the highest distinction a scholar 52 honorary doctors. can achieve, and members enjoy life tenure and an annual monetary sti- In addition to its prominent research, pend. The first female member was the institutes and research centres of elected in 1950. This academic soci- the academy are also home for Mas- ety is dedicated to making its mem- ter’s and Doctoral studies. Thus, the bers’ broad and varied knowledge in International Scientific Educational life and physical sciences, humanities Centre (ISEC), one of the academy’s and social sciences available to all the institutes offers 25 Master’s pro- 183 grammes. Some programs are also The academy has signed memoranda available to foreign students in the and collaboration agreements with English language. About 100 interna- academies and research institutions tional students are currently involved from different countries, such as the in various programs at the academy. Scientific National Research Centre ISEC operates also a distance learn- (CNRS), All European Academies ing platform which offers state-of- (ALLEA), and the International the-art online courses. The National Council of Science (ISCU). It is also Academy of Sciences regularly hosts involved in a number of EU research a variety of international conferences programmes (for instance, EU FP7 and other academic events, attracting IncoNet EaP (2013-2016) – “STI renowned academicians worldwide. International Cooperation Network for Eastern Partnership Countries”) The National Academy of Sciences which promote young Armenian sci- publishes 18 peer reviewed journals, entists’ integration into the interna- thus consolidating research and in- tional scientific community, as well novation in disciplines, such as phys- as foreign students’ involvement in ics and astrophysics, mathematics Master’s and Doctoral programmes. and mechanics, earth and technical A number of NAS RA research or- sciences, humanities, medical and ganisations are members of inter- biological sciences, chemistry and national associations and scientific neurochemistry. networks aimed at promoting student and researcher exchange, such The academy’s home is next door to as the Federation of European Mi- the official residence of the President crobiological Societies (FEMS), the of Armenia and the National Assem- International Brain Research Organ- bly of the Republic of Armenia. Its isation (IBRO), and the International Fundamental Scientific Library is Mathematical Union (IMU). one of the largest academic libraries in the entire region and boasts a More information can be found on at collection of over 2.5 million units of www.sci.am.  literature and a unique repository of valuable publications.

184 National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation

ithin the European integra- untary program accreditation. The Wtion policy agenda, the Ar- policies and procedures on external menian government committed itself quality assurance of tertiary educa- to move beyond the system of the tion institutions and study programs state accreditation of tertiary educa- underpinned by ANQA extensively tion institutions and their programs draw on the local needs of the system and established a more robust and while taking into consideration the independent external quality assur- good practices at the international ance system at the national level. level, the Standards and Guidelines Full operationalization of the Na- for Quality Assurance in the Euro- tional Center for Professional Edu- pean Higher Education Area (ESG), cation Quality Assurance (ANQA) in in particular. A substantial share of 2008 was the result. ANQA’s mission ANQA activities capitalizes capac- evolves around safeguarding and en- ity building in both internal and ex- hancing the quality of tertiary edu- ternal quality assurance of tertiary cation provisions in the Republic of education institutions and their pro- Armenia while ensuring promotion grams through a series of workshops, of recognition and competitiveness trainings and annual conferences, at the international level. which have become a traditional ele- ment and building blocks of the new- The external quality assurance ly evolving quality culture. framework in the Armenian tertiary education includes, but is not limited The ANQA accreditation procedures to, mandatory institutional and vol- bear a cyclical character. ANQA offi- 185 cially launched its first cycle of insti- was over in 2013 with a favorable tutional accreditation in 2010, with feedback of European reviewers on the approved closure envisioned in the ANQA achievements. ANQA is 2018. So far, almost all the state run planning to apply for a full ENQA higher education institutions and recognition procedure in 2016. This several private ones have already is a crucial act to attest the alignment undergone the first cycle of accredi- of ANQA approaches with the ESGs, tation and decisions on accredita- which in turn will promote recognition have been granted to the best tion of the accreditation procedures performing ones. The pilot phase for conducted by ANQA. program accreditation was officially launched in 2012 and the first cycle ANQA is proactive in the quality as- of program accreditation is planned surance arena internationally. It is for 2016. Program accreditation an active affiliate member of ENQA results will serve as a major back- and a full member of INQAAHE, be- ground information for decision taking actively involved in the strategic ing at the governmental level. Over- developments of the latter. ANQA’s all, the results accumulated through international visibility is also en- the ANQA external quality assurance sured through its active initiation procedures will feed into recommen- and implementation of a variety of dations to the policymakers for fur- the World Bank and European Com- ther enhancement of the system. mission projects, which successfully tackle a diversity of challenges relat- ANQA is also conscious of its own ed to the higher education reforms in performance effectiveness spelled Armenia. out in the internal quality assurance system measuring the effectiveness More information can be found on and validity of ANQA operations. the official website of ANQA: www. The first cycle of ANQA internal and anqa.am.  external evaluations of its activities

186 National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility

ince 2005 the National Informa- academic mobility, and the Bologna Stion Center for Academic Rec- transparency tools, such as the Eu- ognition and Mobility (ArmENIC) ropean Credit Transfer and Accumu- has been providing information on lation System (ECTS) and Diploma Armenian and foreign higher edu- Supplement (DS); cation systems to local and foreign stakeholders, as well as on the recog- represents Armenia at the inter- nition of foreign qualifications. The national level. centre is active participant in the international ENIC-NARIC network. ArmENIC is actively involved higher education legislative amendment ArmENIC: processes at both the national and international level. It is one of the provides accurate and reliable in- key actors involved in developing formation about Armenian and for- the Armenian National Qualifica- eign education systems and relevant tions Framework (ANQF). Currently, qualifications, as well as advice on the centre is a social partner in the and verification of decisions made Tempus project “Implementation of about the assessment and recogni- National and Sectorial Qualifications tion of qualifications in line with EN- Frameworks in Armenia” (ARMEN- IC-NARIC criteria and procedures; QA).

promotes the internationalisation ArmENIC collaborates closely with of the Armenian education system, Armenian higher educational insti- 187 tutions, providing consultancy and ficient independent data in order to training on qualification frameworks improve international transparency and academic recognition. and facilitate fair academic and professional recognition of qualifications Since 2007, the centre has provided (diplomas, degrees, and certificates). diploma supplements, a document ArmENIC processes over 1,000 re- developed by the European Com- quests annually. mission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES. The document is More information can be found on linked to higher education qualifica- the official website of ArmENIC: tions and is aimed at providing suf- www.armenic.am. 

188 Armenian National Students’ Association

he Armenian National Students’ educational needs. ANSA specifi- TAssociation is an umbrella or- cally promotes student engagement ganisation representing the student outside the capital city of Yerevan. self-governing bodies of 18 higher Initially starting as an organisation education institutions in Armneia. As dealing mostly with students’ social the largest student body in the coun- issues, ANSA has recently begun to try, it represents and defends the ed- focus on the quality of education, stu- ucational, social, economic and cul- dent involvement, the and protection tural interests of Armenian students of their interests. Its primary objec- on the national and international tives are: level, and promotes the availability and sustainability of quality higher To raise the level of student in- education in Armenia. Since 2012, volvement in higher education de- ANSA has been a full member of the cision-making process and provide European Students’ Union and, as opportunities for independent, trans- such, it serves as a link between local parent and democratic participation; and international students. To provide equal possibilities to The three cornerstones of ANSA’s all students, regardless of their gen- mission are involvement, representa- der, social status, political and re- tiveness and cooperation. The associ- ligious beliefs, ethnic, racial or cul- ation aims to bring together students tural origin; from all higher education institutions in Armenia to better meet their 189 To promote and strengthen co- nian students on higher education operation between youth from all institutions’ policies and practices. regions of the Republic of Armenia, ANSA also facilitates Armenian stu- the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic and dents’ access to international student students from the Armenian Dias- events, thus enhancing their inter- pora. national mobility and chances to exchange best practices. ANSA is an active stakeholder in higher education practices across More information is available on the Armenia, contributing to research ANSA official websitewww.ansa.am and advocacy activities to give voice and its Facebook page www.face- to the perspectives of the Arme- book.com/ansaarmenia. 

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Notes

2015 Higher Education Institutions in Armenia: Your Guide to Studying in Armenia presents a selection of Armenian higher education institutions for the 2015 EHEA Ministerial Conference in Armenia, which holds the Secretariat of the Bologna Follow-up Group between 1 July, 2012 and 30 June 2015.

YEREVAN - 2015