Yuliana Melkumyan, Head of the Chair of Social Work and Social Technologies at the YSU Faculty of Sociology, and Nvard Melkonyan, Associate Professor at the same chair and Head of the "Public Relations " bachelor's and master's degree programs, took part in the international EKA Research Week held in Riga from September 21 to 25 under the Erasmus+ staff training mobility program.
Organized by the EKA University of Applied Sciences and the Alberta College, the event brought together more than 20 representatives from six countries — Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Germany. The research week featured lectures, practical workshops and professional meetings, providing an opportunity to learn about the university's research practices, equipment, software, and to discuss prospects for cooperation.
A visit to EKA's research laboratory and incubator was of particular interest to the YSU lecturers. It offered an opportunity to see how new research ideas are developed in an environment where experimental approaches are coupled with modern technologies.
The program stood out with practical demonstrations of virtual reality and neuromarketing technologies. Participants were shown, in particular, how virtual reality can help create a controlled research environment for studying people's responses to stressful situations. Particularly noteworthy from a professional perspective, Melkonyan noted, was the eye-tracking technology, which can provide new data on audience attention and the perception of communication materials.
"It was interesting to see how new technologies enrich the methodological possibilities of social and communication research. Eye-tracking technology, for example, makes it possible to study not only what people say about communication material, but also what they actually pay attention to. This experience was also valuable to me as a source of ideas for enhancing YSU's "Public Relations" and "Strategic Communication" degree programs," Melkonyan said.
The research week also provided an opportunity to interact with colleagues from different countries. Discussions that began during lectures and workshops continued at informal meetings, covering research approaches, university practices and potential topics for joint work.
"One of the important outcomes of such visits is the professional relationships that develop through the open exchange of ideas. Our meetings in Riga allowed us not only to learn about our colleagues' research experience, but also to discuss issues on which cooperation could continue beyond the research week," Melkumyan said.
YSU was also represented at the EKA Research Week by Karen Sahakyan and Grigor Mnatsakanyan, Assistant Professors at the Chair of Financial Accounting of the YSU Faculty of Economics and Management.
According to the lecturers, the welcoming environment at EKA and its openness to cooperation contributed to substantive discussions. The visit to Riga enabled them to establish new professional contacts and return to YSU with new ideas for their research and teaching.
