News
Monitoring Visit to Yerevan State Medical University
17.01.2024
On January 16 a working meeting was held in Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU). The representatives of the Ministry of Education Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the Higher Education and Science Committee and Centre for Education Projects PIU were present at the meeting. The aim of the meeting was the monitoring of the ongoing grant project of Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) for higher education institutions of Armenia.Professor Konstantin Yenkoyan, the Vice-Rector for Science and the Head of Neuroscience Laboratory of Yerevan State Medical University after MkhitarHeratsi (YSMU) and the Head of the grant project presented the ongoing activities of the establishment of"Brain Visualization Laboratory" to the participants of the visit. .Hementioned that within the framework of “Education Improvement Project Additional Financing” loan project a brain visualizing laboratory will be established in the "COBRAIN" Scientific and Educational Center for Fundamental Brain Research.
The main goal of the project is to create a brain visualization laboratory which, by combining the features of modern microscopy, cellular computing, augmented and virtual reality, will allow comprehensive visualization of the cellular engineering of the brain, complementing it with sensory interaction. Accompanied by Professor Konstantin Yenkoyan, the visitors toured the area envisioned for the laboratory.
''This educational center aims at enhancing the research and innovation capacity of YSMU by strengthening the field of brain research with a special focus on autism and Alzheimer’s disease. The center offers a new model of research-based education and thus develops a new culture in higher education'',-the Professor noted.
During the visit, the representatives of the PIU together with the representative of Higher Education and Science Committee and the university representatives discussed the activities planned in accordance with the schedule of the grant project and the process of their implementation.
As a result of the monitoring it was recorded that the selection of the area for the center is in the final stage and the renovation works will start soon. The procurement of computer and related equipment,augmented and virtual reality equipmentlaboratory equipment is underway. The head of the YSU grant project also informed that a visit to the laboratories equipped with the latest equipment of several universities in Switzerland was carried out within the framework of the project in order to study the best practices. In the context of the visit, Professor Yenkoyan visited the Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis at the University of Zurich, the Biocenter at the University of Basel, the Center for Microscopy Imaging at the University of Bernand theUis Innovation Center in Geneva..
At the end of the visit, the members of the monitoring working group have stressed, that awareness activities related to the objectives and results of the grant projects should be continuous, accessible as possible. The goals and expected results of the grant projects should be presented in more detail, and these measures should be aimed at attracting more female students into STEM fields of study and jobs and have more female teaching staff involved in research and scientific work.
Once again, the importance of the grants provided within the frames of CIF was emphasized, as they are aimed at enhancing the higher education quality, relevance, innovativeness and accessibility.
It is worth to mention that since 2015, Yerevan State Medical University has been operating the "Practical Skills Simulation Training Center", since 2018, the "Center of Excellence in Dental Education", and since 2021, the ""COBRAIN" Scientific Research Center ", which have also been established in the frames of CIF Grant projects.
