The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia hosts the kick-off days of the Armenian projects that won the Erasmus+ call.

The event was organized by the National Office of the “Erasmus+” Program in Armenia with the assistance of the ESCS Ministry. ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan, EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, Coordinator of the National Office of the “Erasmus+” Program in Armenia Lana Karlova, representatives of universities, public organizations and other beneficiary organizations participated in the event.

ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan welcomed the participants of the event and wished them fruitful working discussions.

“Our cooperation is at a qualitatively new stage: the second stage of the “Erasmus+” program - 2021-2027 has launched, in the scope of which the opportunities for cooperation development between the educational institutions of Armenia and the European Union have enhanced. In particular, preliminary and secondary vocational educational institutions are also included in this stage. The role of the “Erasmus+” program in terms of the development and advancement of the RA higher education sector is indispensable. The outcomes expected under the “Erasmus+” program are also in line with the reforms adopted under the “RA Education Development State Program until 2030”, aimed at the internationalization of higher education and the promotion of academic mobility,” noted the ESCS Deputy Minister.

According to him, the Ministry expects closer cooperation between the National Office of the “Erasmus+” program and educational institutions of Armenia. Arthur Martirosyan expressed hope that as a result of the joint efforts of the National Office and educational institutions, the indicators of international mobility will improve.

He called on the program beneficiaries to take interrelated steps with the national office to ensure greater participation of the academic community in mobility programs.

EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin welcomed the participants and thanked them for the efficient cooperation and expressed confidence that the cooperation carried out within the framework of the Erasmus+ program will be long-lasting: “I hope that the implemented new programs will continue to ensure mobility, develop abilities and skills, and increase the attractiveness of university education.”

Coordinator of the National Office of the Erasmus+ Program in Armenia Lana Karlova noted that the EU-funded “Erasmus+” program promotes higher education, teacher training, and a number of programs implemented in the field of youth and sports in Armenia.

The participants of the event were also remotely welcomed by the representative of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency Lucia Giannini and the representative of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sports and Culture of the EU Commission Kinga Bereza-Husak.

The objective of the two-day event is to present the main goals and expected outcomes of projects implemented by higher, preliminary and secondary vocational educational institutions that have received an “Erasmus+” grant.

The first day of the event was dedicated to the field of higher education, during which 4 new programs on the development of higher education capacities, approved by the EU, the first program won in the scope of the “Erasmus Mundus Projects” and the “Jean Monnet Chair” project was presented.

And the second day of the event will be devoted to the presentation of 3 new projects on capacity building in the field of VET, after which a panel discussion is planned with the representatives of public and private VET institutions.

Stakeholders will also discuss the interrelation between vocational education and skills under the theme “European Year of Skills 2023”.