Kick-off Meeting of AFISHE Project Expert Group in Progress
January 26, 2023
On 26 January, 2023, the kick-off meeting of "Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries Education for Green Deal in Armenia and Ukraine: FROM EDUCATION TO ECOLOGY" (AFISHE) Erasmus+ CBHE jointly implemented by International Scientific and Educational Center of NAS RA, Armenian National Agrarian University and Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA continued in hybrid format at Round Hall of Presidium of NAS RA.
Sargis Aghayan, Director of Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Head of Hydroecology and Ichthyology Laboratory, Project coordinator Garegin Hambardzumyan, Programme Coordinator of National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia Lana Karlova, and other representatives from RA universities and European partner universities participated in the discussion. The work of the expert group was coordinated by Arusyak Harutyunyan, Head of Foreign Affairs Department, AFISHE project's ISEC Coordinator.
Sargis Aghayan, Director of Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA, stated in his speech that the AFISHE program is aimed at strengthening university-enterprise cooperation, which will lead to the implementation of scientific research and ecology-based activities and increase the operational efficiency of aquaculture and fish farms. S. Aghayan presented to the participants that as a result of the implementation of the project, 3 new and improved master's programs will be created in Armenia and Ukraine, teaching and learning materials will be developed.
S. Aghayan presented to the participants that as a result of the implementation of the program, 3 new and improved master's programs will be created in Armenia and Ukraine, teaching and learning materials will be developed, there will be modernized infrastructures and trained teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as a network will be created between universities and the labor market, which will contribute to education and training of specialists needed in Armenia and Ukraine.
Lana Karlova, Programme Coordinator of National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia also emphasized the possibility of creating a stable network of cooperation between the member universities of the program, which will become an excellent platform for conducting joint activities and solving current ecological problems through strong ties in the field of aquaculture and fish economy.
Yulia Grokhovska, a representative of Ukrainian partner HEI - Sumy National Agrarian University, who joined the discussions online, presented the human resources empowerment and development component of the project, which will include three types of training, including faculty training on new modules in EU universities, student-centered education, interactive methods and experience-based education trainings of academic staff in Armenian and Ukrainian universities and trainings of non-academic staff to work in newly-established laboratories.
A. Harutyunyan, ISEC Coordinator of AFISHE project, presented the infrastructure development component of the project aimed at the development of laboratory infrastructures in Armenian and Ukrainian universities, the procedure and schedule for the purchase, installation and use of equipment.
AFISHE Coordinator Garegin Hambardzumyan noted that ANAU coordinates the project, which carries out all activities related to the coordination and management of the project. Management, coordination and administrative measures will ensure that project activities are carried out in each country according to the plan and budget for the project.
In the second half of the day, a visit of the participants and a familiarization visit to Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA was planned to get acquainted with the activities of the Center and its infrastructure.
Public Relations and Career Department of ISEC NAS RA
