Learn & Work: YSU EXPO-2024 dedicated to YSU’s 105th anniversary held at YSU

For the second year, the "Learn & Work: YSU EXPO-2024" is being held on May 16, YSU's foundation day. The expo consists of two main components: Career Fair, where YSU partners are presented introducing internship and employment opportunities, along with key labor market trends to students, and Education Fair, which aims to acquaint the applicants with YSU educational programs and perspectives in the booths of the educational departments. These interconnected components provide everyone the opportunity to learn about professions and opportunities to integrate into the field.  

At the official opening ceremony, YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan delivered a speech.  He noted that this is a symbolic day, as May 16 marks both YSU’s 105th anniversary and Students and Youth Day. "This momentous day in history is a wonderful opportunity to reflect once again on the university's rich heritage, its contribution to the advancement of our country, society and the promising future that is taking shape today. YSU's role in the development of our country is invaluable," the YSU rector said, adding that the expo being held today is a great opportunity, as employers and education meet on one platform. 

"We are continuously reforming our educational programs to align with the demands of the labor market. Many of our partners, the majority of whom also lecture at YSU, are actively involved in these educational development processes. It's worth adding that we organize educational internships in collaboration with our partners," pointed out the YSU rector. 

The "Learn & Work" expo also provides the opportunity to speak out about the current problems in the educational field, as well as about successes and achievements, creates an innovative platform for professional connections, and fosters intra-university and extra-university cooperation.

Mikayel Hovhannisyan, Vice-Rector for Development and Innovation at YSU, referred to the importance of organizing the event, noting: "It’s not only a work process but also a festive event, which is why, in addition to the educational and career fair, discussions, competitions, games, quizzes, and a festive concert were organized as part of the event.

YSU educational departments participated in the event presenting their professions and opportunities in interactive boosts. 

"We showcase the theoretical and practical aspects of our educational programs. For instance, the partners of the YSU Faculty of History created an excavation site. The Institute of Physics displayed such equipment that provided the visitors with a basic understanding of various scientific experiments. Philology faculties were interesting, representing not only the given language but also the culture of the language-bearing country," M. Hovhannisyan said.  

Students actively participated in presenting the educational departments’ boosts. One of the best examples was the Faculty of Journalism. If last year the students of the faculty covered only their booth’s work, this year they were involved in the work of the central media team, covering the entire course of the event. 

Vice-Rector Mikael Hovhannisyan stated that to gather the permanent partners of the university on one platform, they aim to create a partnership network, to which all the companies and organizations with which YSU regularly cooperates on different platforms will become members. The network will facilitate more systematic communication between the university and partner organizations, strengthen the connection between the university and the labor market, and by keeping a finger on the pulse of the labor market demands, adapt and innovate the educational programs accordingly.

This year new partners joined the "Learn & Work" expo, introducing offers and opportunities for internships, volunteer work and career development, as well as the attractiveness of various fields to applicants, students and graduates. 

"Last year, the expo was attended by partners who have cooperated with us and demonstrated confidence in us. This year, new people joined that group, who probably followed last year's expo on social platforms and saw the positive result," said Karine Nazaryan, Deputy Director of the YSU Alumni and Career Center.

Turning to the question of which companies may participate in the YSU’s annual expo, the deputy director of the center emphasized that the field of work of the participating company should correspond to YSU educational programs and be attractive to students.

"We value that the offers of partners contribute to the development of the professional growth of students and graduates. Additionally, it's imperative that the organization is registered in the Armenian labor market and has a strategy to develop the Armenian labor market," added Karine Nazaryan.  

Azniv Grigoryan, Head of the YSU Marketing Department, emphasized the significance of organizing similar events, highlighting "Learn & Work: YSU EXPO-2024" as a valuable platform to showcase educational and scientific opportunities and potential available at YSU, as well as to introduce the labor market demands to students and graduates. 

"YSU cooperates with a number of both international and Armenian state institutions, as well as private companies, ensuring continuous communication between students and employers. In this context, it is important for YSU students to stay informed about the demands of the labor market and the opportunities for career growth," added Azniv Grigoryan, emphasizing that within the framework of "Learn & Work: YSU EXPO-2024", the YSU Marketing Department was fully involved in the entire organizational process of the event, including the visualization of the area, the collection, coverage and dissemination of information about partners. Furthermore, the Marketing Department participated in the exhibition with its own booth. Azniv Grigoryan highlighted that the flow of visitors to the exhibition this year surpassed that of previous years, which proves the expo's increased efficiency. 

"The educational booths where each educational department presented its educational programs and opportunities were also very captivating. One of the novelties of this year was the representation of YSU STEM School and YSU Ijevan branch at the expo. The students from YSU Ijevan branch’s Applied Arts Faculty had the opportunity to showcase their works to visitors," said Azniv Grigoryan.

At the booth of the YSU Ijevan branch, the representatives of the Applied Arts Faculty exhibited the students' works, including carpets, tapestry, glass painting, batik, as well as sculptures. Notably, among the exhibits was a bust commemorating YSU student and artilleryman Khachik Poghosyan, immortalized during the 2020 war (crafted by Tigran Bagamyan, a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Art, YSU Ijevan branch). The sculpture will also be replicated in bronze. 

Azniv Grigoryan added that the purpose of the expo was to present the YSU educational programs to students and contribute to their professional orientation, as well as to provide employment opportunities to final-year and master's students.

"Learn & Work: YSU EXPO-2024" was held in the entire territory of YSU. The faculties and institutes of the university presented the educational programs, while the partners presented employment opportunities and accepted the participants' CVs. Notably, numerous students and graduates who presented their CVs during the expo secured employment opportunities from participating employers.

To be continued...