Erasmus+ Info Day at Vanadzor State University
In the frames of the annual Erasmus+ Promotion and Dissemination campaign in Armenia, the first regional Erasmus+ Information Day took place on the 22nd of October in Vanadzor State University (VSU), Lori region.
The main aim of this Information Day was to inform and consult academic and non-academic beneficiaries of Lori region about the forthcoming Erasmus+ Call for Proposals on the following Actions of the international dimension of Higher Education: KA1 International Credit Mobility and Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Porgrammes, KA2 Capacity Building in Higher Education and Jean Monnet Actions. The event hosted students, academic and administrative staff from the host University, as well as from Vanadzor branches of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) and Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU).
Since the 6th Call will conclude the 7 year framework of Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020), this year the National Erasmus+ Office, in partnership with the Department of Cooperation and Relations of VSU, initiated a new format of experience sharing which allowed the participants to witness the impact of the past years of Erasmus+ on Armenian higher education institutions in general and on Vanadzor based Universities and regional branches in particular.
In the first section CBHE updates and national statistics were presented by the NEO Programme Officer Ani Torosyan, after which the event provided space for discussion of results achieved within the two Erasmus+ Capacity Building projects in VSU: BOOST (local coordinator: Gohar Dokholyan) and PRINTEL (local coordinator: Anush Gevorgyan).
The second part of the Info Day was dedicated to Jean Monnet Actions, information about which was delivered by the Coordinator of the new Jean Monnet Module “Legal Approximation Lab” (2019 – 2022) Anna Khvorostyankina from Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences. The participants had a chance to learn from Ms. Khvorostyankina most practical tips and recommendations for drafting their first Jean Monnet proposal.
The third part included panel discussions with students, academic and administrative beneficiaries of Erasmus+ mobility who shared their stories that focused on achievements (skills and competences acquired) and challenges (language and cultural barriers) of studying and teaching abroad. The panels were moderated by NEO Programme Officers Edith Soghomonyan and Ani Torosyan.
Finally, during the concluding session Edith Soghomonyan presented the application steps and timeline for those interested in Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees.
