YSU Alumni Forum nears: what to expect and why to attend

The YSU Alumni Forum, set to take place in the coming days, will feature professional discussions, success stories and networking opportunities. From alumni talks to dynamic Speed Chat sessions, the event aims to bring together experience, new ideas and the university community. 

– How will this year's YSU Alumni Forum differ from last year's forum, and why is it worth attending?

– The forum is designed to once again position the university as a platform for meetings, reunions and the new connections among alumni from different generations. With this in mind, this year's event will be held in a more interactive and participatory format. This year's forum will expand on last year's format by including both thematic panel discussions and informal communication formats, providing participants with opportunities to meet, exchange ideas and build new collaborations and meaningful connections across different generations and professional fields. 

At the end of the day, a conceptual cocktail bar and the In Vino Veritas symposium are also planned, offering participants the chance to engage in open discussions over a glass of wine or a cocktail.

– One of the forum's key objectives is to strengthen ties between YSU and its alumni. What new tools or initiatives are planned to make this relationship not only symbolic, but also tangible and sustainable?

– A key component of this year's forum will be four thematic discussions held under the title "YSU–Community Cooperation," focusing on education, science, infrastructure and public responsibility.

The discussions aim to explore what kind of practical cooperation can be established between YSU and the alumni community, what challenges currently exist and what resources are needed to address them.

Together with participants, we will seek to answer several fundamental questions:

• What can YSU offer its alumni? 

• What can alumni offer the university?

• What resources are needed, and where can they be found?  

• How can this cooperation become sustainable, continuous and institutionalized?

The discussions will be moderated by experts from the Armenian Sociological Association. Based on the outcomes, a report will be prepared to serve as a foundation for long-term initiatives and institutional development.

In addition to the thematic discussions, this year's forum will introduce participatory formats designed to make alumni–university ties more personal and practical.  

Among the forum's new initiatives is "I Dream → I Plan → I Commit." Participants will be invited to articulate how they envision YSU's future, what contribution they can make and what concrete steps they are prepared to take over the coming year.   

After the event, participants' written reflections will be sent to them electronically as a reminder of their personal commitments. 

A joint workshop, organized in cooperation with the YSU Ijevan Branch, is also planned, during which participants will create souvenirs. 

– Panel discussions are again a key part of this year's agenda. How were the topics selected?

– This year's forum includes four main panel discussions addressing distinct yet interconnected themes:

• modern prospects for the development of Armenian studies;

• Armenia’s and the academic community’s role within the framework of COP-17;

• transformations in education in the modern world; 

• YSU's transition into an innovation ecosystem, including the role, opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence technologies.

The selection of topics reflects both Yerevan State University's 2025–2030 strategic priorities and its role as a coordinating and agenda-setting institution in several key fields.

– The forum also serves as a platform for presenting success stories. In your view, why is it important for current students and recent graduates to hear about the professional paths of YSU alumni?

– I believe that alumni success stories are not only a source of knowledge for students, but also an opportunity to learn from role models, become familiar with their experiences and career paths, and see how education and initiative during university years can translate into significant professional achievements.

To further strengthen student–alumni relations, this year will also continue the format of Alumni Talks, successfully introduced last year, in which accomplished graduates share their experiences and professional journeys through short TED-style presentations.

A new format, Self Q&A, will also be introduced, in which alumni take part in self-interviews, speaking more personally and candidly about their choices, mistakes, challenges and successes. For the first time, the forum will also feature Speed Chat sessions — short, dynamic sessions in which students and alumni rotate conversation partners, allowing them to discuss career opportunities, professional experience and ways of building new connections. 

– The YSU Alumni Forum has already become a tradition. In your view, how is the forum shaping the university community in the long term?

– I believe such initiatives are gradually transforming the culture of the university community, making it more open, collaborative and inclusive. In the past the alumni–university connection often ended upon graduation. Today, however, a more long-term, partnership-based model is emerging, in which alumni are not only carriers of institutional memory, but also active contributors to the university's development.

In the long term, this can help build stronger professional networks and new collaborations, strengthen community ties, facilitate the exchange of academic and professional resources, and provide sustained support for Yerevan State University's strategic development.

Concluding the interview, Astghik Mnatsakanyan noted that the Alumni Forum is not merely an event, but an opportunity to build a community and elevate the relationship between Yerevan State University and its alumni to a new level. According to her, the forum brings together people of different generations, experiences and professional backgrounds, creating an environment in which university memories are transformed into new ideas, collaborations and forward-looking initiatives.  

Join the YSU Alumni Forum to return to your alma mater, meet graduates from different years, hear inspiring stories and take part in creating new ideas and collaborations. To register, click here.