News
The Grant Project Monitoring was held in Armenian State Pedagogical University
18.01.2024
On January 17 a working meeting was held in Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) The representatives of the Ministry of Education Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the Higher Education and Science Committeeand the 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.Marianna Harutyunyan ,the Vice-Rector for International cooperation, the Head of the grant project “Establishment of a Center of Excellence in “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” sectors, Capacity-Building for Future and Current Teachers” presented the ongoing activities related to the establishment of "Center of Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” to the participants of the visit.She mentioned that the Program is funded by the Competitive Innovation Fund for Higher Education institutions of Armenia within the framework of “Education Improvement Project Additional Financing” loan project and is scheduled to end in 2025.
The key objective of the Program is to establish a unique center of excellence in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines at the ASPU, that will be in line with the modern educational challenges. It will be aimed at capacity-building for current and future teachers and the training of professionals with innovative, practical and research skills and capabilities.The center will provide the opportunity for effective instruction-work-training relationship through partnership with different generations of pedagogues and will foster improvement of the research and creative component of current and future teachers.There is also a plan to enhance the teaching-methodical, research and creative skills of the teachers studying in the STEM disciplines (future teachers and practicing teachers) by establishing materially and technically equipped a state-of-the-art center of excellence.The center of excellence will include 6 laboratories-physics, biology, chemistry, geography, technology (including engineering and mathematics), informatics. Alao a state-of-the-art hall for academic events and training and an auditorium for professional orientation and initial experienceformation will be established During the monitoring, the representatives of the PIU got acquainted with the space designed for the center and recorded that the furniture has been delivered, the process of the purchase of laboratory equipment has been started, a tender for thy purchase of the equipment has been announced.
During the visit, the participants of the meeting discussed the activities planned in the schedule of the grant project and the process of their implementation.
Marianna Harutyunyan noted that within the scope of the project, practicing and future teachers will participate in training courses to be held in the STEM disciplines. During the courses, the participants will be introduced to the innovative teaching methods and laboratory activities defined by the new standards of general education.
During the meeting one more time it was 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.
