By the order of YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Tigran Simyan has been appointed as the Acting Head of the Chair of Media Studies and Semiotics at the Faculty of Journalism.
At a joint meeting of the chairs held today, Dean of YSU Faculty of Journalism Naghash Martirosyan introduced Professor Tigran Simyan and expressed his hope that he will initiate new projects in the chair, involving collaboration with leading international universities.
"I believe this because Mr. Simyan is a scholar recognized and respected by well-known universities abroad," the dean emphasized.
Here is the interview with Professor Tigran Simyan for "Journalist.am".
– Mr. Simyan, was the invitation from Dean Naghash Martirosyan unexpected for you?
– To be honest, yes, although I am not new to the Faculty of Journalism. Years ago, at Mr. Martirosyan’s invitation, I taught the subject of Semiotics in the master’s program. I fondly remember my interactions with the future journalists, many of whom are now well-known figures in the media field.
– Prior to this appointment, you were working in the Chair of Foreign Literature at YSU Faculty of European Languages and Communication, but you are also recognized as a prominent expert in semiotics.
– Semiotics, as well as the media field, fall within the scope of my scholarly interests. I apply the methods developed in semiotics to analyze various media texts. Media is a complex semiotic system involving verbal, non-verbal, and visual signs. I have authored nearly 140 scientific works, around 40 of which have been published in journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science. I am pleased that my academic articles have also attracted interest in international scholarly circles, as evidenced by my h-index of 5 according to Scopus.
– Now that you have taken on this position, do you have any priority plans you aim to implement soon?
– Certainly, I have plans which I briefly mentioned at the joint meeting of chairs. These include international cooperation through both formal and informal educational formats, implementation of grant-funded projects involving international partners and our students, and initiating collaboration with the International Association for Semiotic Studies, represented by President Jacques Fontanille, as well as with regional associations and their members.
My colleagues at the Semiotics Association are enthusiastic about the establishment of the Chair of Media Studies and Semiotics at YSU and are ready to cooperate. It is also important to establish a media studies center or laboratory in the near future, potentially within the framework of grant competitions to be announced by the Armenian Higher Education and Science Committee.
