A kickoff meeting of the project Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing (BOOST) which is implemented within the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) was held at Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan. The wider objective of the Project is to foster and promote further internationalization of Armenian Higher Education through development of national and institutional policy framework and tools. The coordinator of the project is Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU).
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Armenia, Karine Harutyunyan assigned significance to participation of Armenian HEI-s in Erasmus+ projects. According to the Deputy Minister Armenian HEI-s become coordinators of projects, which is a positive trend. “Internationalization of universities is a global trend. Internationalization of universities is among priority activities worldwide. Higher education institutions in Armenia emphasize the importance of internationalization and take important steps in that direction,” she noted in her speech.
Karine Harutyunyan also emphasized the fact that besides Armenian HEIs, leading European institutions are involved in the project Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing (BOOSTas well.
ASPU Vice-Rector Ara Yeramyan said that Armenian State Pedagogical University has extensive experience in coordinating and managing international projects. According to him a national policy framework and tools will be developed in order to boost international practices in Armenia at institutional, regional and national levels. Ha also added, that they would create a national platform and strengthen the resources of international departments in Armenian HEIs.
Lana Karlova, Coordinator of National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia, is convinced that further internationalization of Armenian HEIs and effectiveness of the national project will be possible thanks to cooperation of participants and effective measures.
She says it is important that the Armenian HEIs and representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science involved in the three-year project implement the provisions of the project, cooperate with partner universities from Spain, Sweden, Portugal and Estonia, applying their rich experience in the national project.
The project consortium comprises 12 members, including 5 universities from Armenia, Ministry of Education and Science, National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility as well as five European partners.