National Awareness Day and Training within the Framework of the Erasmus+ SMARTI Project
On August 1-2, Vanadzor State University hosted the 3rd “National Awareness Day” Event and a training session in a hybrid format as part of the Erasmus+ SMARTI project, titled “Support for Innovative Methodology, Approaches, and Tools for Teaching through the Medium of English to Improve Educational Yield, Sustainability, and Internationalization.” We were honored to have Gerard Cullen, the SMARTI Project Coordinator, lead the Case Study Workshop. The Event included participation from students and staff of consortium member institutions, such as Shirak and Goris State Universities, as well as members of the Armenian English Language Teachers Association (AELTA). VSU students and employees participated face-to-face, while other project consortium members and external stakeholders joined the event online.
At the meeting, Goris State University was represented by Naira Safaryan, Head of the Department of External Relations, Cooperation, and Media; Sona Alaverdyan, the person in charge of external relations and cooperation in the same department; and students of the “English Language and Literature” specialty, Armine Asatryan and Ruzan Nadanyan.
The event began with a welcoming speech by Lusine Kostandyan, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Vanadzor State University. She warmly greeted the participants, wishing them productive work and emphasizing the importance of promoting English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) and the necessity of designing and implementing English-taught courses and modules in Armenian universities. The Vice-Rector acknowledged that while this initiative is commendable, it demands substantial effort and presents challenges for universities, including the enhancement of English proficiency among both faculty and students, among other considerations.
Following this, Lusik Vardanyan, the local Coordinator of the SMARTI Project, provided an in-depth overview of the Project’s objectives and accomplishments. Gerard Cullen, the project Coordinator, also delivered a welcoming speech. His contributions offered valuable insights into the academic discussions, greatly enhancing the overall quality of the event.
The morning sessions focused on EMI from the perspectives of students. Students from Goris State University presented on the implementation of the SMARTI Project at their university and discussed the importance of the EMI Centre. They also organized an interactive quiz session that fostered lively discussion. Armine Gevorgyan, a member of the Project and a lecturer at Vanadzor State University in the Department of Economics, Law, and Management, delivered a presentation on “Hotel Hospitality.” Additionally, VSU students, who participated in English language development courses as students and volunteers, shared their experiences. They highlighted that the English classes helped them develop not only their language skills but also other skills such as writing resumes (CVs) and making presentations in English.
VSU students also shared their impressions of three online Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) events held within the Project. They emphasized the importance of joint events with international students, presenting their positive achievements and expressing great interest in participating in such events. Shirak State University conducted a plenary discussion aimed at identifying the main achievements and challenges of the Project.
The afternoon was dedicated to the TU Dresden Case Study Workshop, where Mrs. Cullen introduced the simulation structure and tools. This was followed by a constructive feedback session that allowed for reflection and refinement of the workshop’s concepts.
The second day of the event started with a brief introduction to the Erasmus+ DeSIRe Project, coordinated by Vanadzor State University. Lusik Vardanyan, the DeSIRe Project Coordinator, presented the Project’s consortium, outlined its main goals and objectives, and summarized the key outcomes achieved so far. She highlighted that while VSU has been involved in many Erasmus+ projects, this is the first time it has been coordinating a project. Following this, the second part of the TU Dresden Case Study Workshop commenced, focusing on case study preparation, simulation, and evaluation. This session was instrumental in consolidating the learnings from the workshop. Following a break, participants continued with final preparations and evaluations of the case study. He also introduced an engaging quiz created by German students. The event concluded with a feedback and review session, where participants discussed their experiences and explored opportunities for further COIL cooperation.
At the end of the training, participants expressed their gratitude to Mr. Cullen for his valuable insights and for testing the presented material through practical role-playing exercises.
