International Conference Devoted to Summarizing Outcomes of MENVIPRO Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project
October 7, 2022
On October 5, 2022 year, "Innovative Postgraduate Education in Field of Environment Protection: Methods and Tools" international conference was launched at RA National Academy of Sciences.
Three-day-long conference was aimed to sum up the outcomes of "Modernization of environment protection studies programmes for Armenia and Georgia" (MENVIPRO) Erasmus+ capacity building project.
The goal of MENVIPRO project was to contribute to the modernization of environmental education in HEIs of the South Caucasus region by transferring the best European practices including the latest innovations in educational technologies, and applying the "Quadruple Helix" principles.
Ashot Saghyan, President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, gave an opening speech at the conference, who welcomed the participants of the conference and thanked the Armenian and international representatives included in the working group of the project for implementing this important project aimed at environmental protection and implementing it consistently.
The coordinator of MENVIPRO project, Professor Merendino of University of Tuscia in Italy, also gave a speech of welcome, who also thanked the partners of Armenia and Georgia, noting that although many problems have arisen since the start of the project due to the coronavirus and the war, however, thanks to the joint efforts, it was possible to achieve goals of the program.
The participants of the conference were also welcomed by Director of International Scientific-Educational Center of NAS RA, A. Sargsyan, who noted that the implementation of "Modernization of environment protection studies programmes for Armenia and Georgia" (MENVIPRO) Erasmus+ capacity building project at ISEC and CENS allowed research education to be aligned to international standards, both to modernize existing courses and to develop new courses that meet the current requirements of environmental education and the labor market.
A. Sargsyan particularly emphasized the establishment of a unique inter-university educational and scientific research ERLEP laboratory within the framework of the project, which is one of the main tangible results of the project and has already significantly improved the quality standards of post-university education in the field of environmental education. Furthermore, the infrastructure of the laboratory is accessible to other professional chairs at ISEC NAS RA, which are "Molecular and Cellular Biology" and "Geology" Departments, giving the opportunity to implement various student collaborative projects based on the principles of project-based learning.
Lilit Sahakyan, Head of "Environmental Protection and Nature Management" Joint Department of ISEC NAS RA and CENS, presented the infrastructures already established in the laboratory and noted that the modern laboratory with accurate measuring devices in the field of environmental studies has an invaluable and crucial role in the harmonization of education and research. Today it can be safely stated that ERLEP is the first Caucasian regional educational and research laboratory in the field of environmental sciences.
Lana Karlova, Programme Coordinator National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia, emphasized the idea of the program as an innovative tool for educating generations, especially in the context of the current challenges in the field of environmental protection, noting that the cornerstone of both master's and post-graduate educational programs should be raising the level of awareness of students and developing their abilities towards the solution of environmental issues.
It should be added that today the ultra-modern laboratory already operating at CENS meets not only the professional needs of the students of ISEC NAS RA, but also the needs of various universities and research organizations in Armenia. In particular, a very effective collaboration has been established between MENVIPRO and ABIONET Erasmus+ capacity building programs, in which students spend their semester doing internships at CENS where ERLEP is located, thus taking advantage of the advantages and opportunities of this unique laboratory.
During the conference, the results of SWOT analysis carried out within the framework of the project were presented, highlighting the demand for environmental education in Armenia, gaps, external stakeholders, advantages and disadvantages of environmental education in Armenia.
The conference was concluded with the presentation of the current requirements for the development of post-university innovative environmental education in Armenia and Georgia, the best practices of the partners of the European Union, Italy, Portugal, and Germany.
Public Relations and Career Department of ISEC NAS RA
