From education to professional success: YSU and KPMG Armenia expand cooperation

Under the memorandum, student internships and practical training programs will be organized within the company's structural divisions. The agreement also envisages the involvement of leading industry specialists in lectures and seminars, the establishment of scholarships, and the organization of professional forums and other educational initiatives through joint efforts. 

KPMG is a global network of firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Its Armenian office was established in 1997 and became the first of the Big Four auditing firms to begin operations in Armenia. The company's activities are aimed at transforming professional knowledge into economic value for the benefit of clients, employees, and international capital markets.

The parties highlighted the importance of university-employer cooperation as a key factor in preparing well-versed specialists and strengthening the link between education and the labor market.

YSU Rector Hovhannisyan stated that one of the university's strategic priorities is to strengthen the connection between the educational process and the real-world professional setting.

"This cooperation is an important step toward enriching students' theoretical knowledge with real professional experience. Today's labor market requires not only high-quality education, but also practical skills, and partnerships of this kind enable universities to prepare competitive specialists with innovative thinking who can adapt to a rapidly changing environment. I am confident that cooperation with KPMG Armenia will be long-term and effective both for our students and for the development of the country's economy," the rector said.

Addressing the significance of the partnership, KPMG Armenia Director Irina Gevorgyan noted that highly qualified professionals are becoming increasingly valuable amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

"Today, many functions are being automated, yet human knowledge, analytical thinking, and professional expertise remain the most important factors. That is why we highly value cooperation with the university and are interested in training the best specialists. Creating opportunities for internships, traineeships, and other forms of professional development for students could become one of the key areas of this partnership. We already have two years of effective cooperation with the Faculty of Economics and Management, and this memorandum will make that cooperation more systematic and sustainable," she said. 

Dean of the YSU Faculty of Economics and Management Karlen Khachatryan said the trust and mutual understanding established between the parties form the strong foundation of the memorandum.

"Over the past two years, we have actively cooperated with the company and have gained a strong understanding of each other's approaches and expectations. This memorandum not only strengthens the existing ties, but also creates new prospects. Many of our students have already had the opportunity to complete internships at the company, and some have also received job offers, which is the clearest indication of the effectiveness of this cooperation," the dean emphasized.