Within the framework of an inter-university cooperation agreement between Yerevan State University and Saint Petersburg State University, students of the Faculty of History hosted peers from Saint Petersburg State University, Alisa Rodyagina and Viktoria Ovramets. They participated in the course "Culture and Conflicts in the Contemporary Caucasus and the Middle East," taught by Associate Professor of the Chair of Culturology at YSU, PhD in History Arsen Hakobyan. The course focuses on the anthropology of conflicts in the Caucasus and the Middle East.
In an interview with us, Hakobyan noted that his experience in lecturing foreign students is highly multifaceted. According to him, nearly every year students arrive at YSU who are interested in cultural and anthropological studies of regional processes.
"In this regard, my courses and students' interests often intersect, and over the years an interesting and productive experience has been formed. I have taught students who came to the Faculty of History through exchange programs from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Russian Federation, and other countries," the YSU associate professor said.
Addressing the importance of international exchange programs at the Faculty of History, Hakobyan emphasized that they provide the faculty with valuable internationalization experience.
"The Faculty of History holds a key role in the study of Armenian culture, and this uniqueness makes it possible to meet the curiosity of foreign students regarding regional developments and Armenia. At the same time, international academic programs also serve as an important platform for presenting the research of faculty scholars in the global academic arena," he noted.
According to Hakobyan, the Caucasus and the Middle East are often perceived in international academic circles through the lens of historical and contemporary conflicts, population movements, and the resulting socio-cultural transformations. This very perception has increased interest among students from Saint Petersburg State University in the region.
The YSU associate professor also noted that students' individual research projects and independent studies often evolve into serious academic work, reflecting their interest and desire to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. During their stay in Armenia, the visiting students from Saint Petersburg sought to gain a deeper understanding of Armenia's socio-cultural reality and ongoing social processes.
One of the students' research projects focused on local perceptions of Russian citizens through self-reflection. Within the scope of the study, she set an objective to understand the cultural dimensions and characteristics of migration through her own experience, taking into account the recent migration flows to Armenia resulting from the Russia–Ukraine war and other developments.
Hakobyan also highlighted that cooperation with foreign students goes beyond a single academic semester. According to him, joint research projects, co-supervision of master's theses, and advisory support for doctoral research continue.
