YSU and French-Armenian scholars launch new academic initiative for students

From international cooperation to student competition

The Excellence Award student competition was initiated by French-Armenian scholars Dr. Anna Martirosyan, Director of Business Development and Partnerships at AP-HM (France) and visiting lecturer at Aix-Marseille University, and Professor Philippe Carayon of Sorbonne University, founder and President of X-PHARMA, biochemist, biologist, and pharmacologist specializing in therapeutic peptides. 

The idea for the competition and initial organizational arrangements were developed in October 2025 at the initiative of Professor Carayon. The project was subsequently implemented through the efforts and direct coordination of Anna Karapetyan, Head of the YSU "Biology" bachelor's program and Head of the Chair of Human and Animal Morphology and Physiology, Associate Professor and PhD in Biological Sciences, who ensured its high academic standards. 

The initiative aims to foster students' scientific thinking, develop skills in scientific article analysis and academic presentation, and integrate them into an international scientific communication environment.

Scientific challenge for students

In February, participants were provided with 12 high-impact research articles in immuno-oncology. Each student selected one article, conducted a scientific analysis, and presented their findings in English. A total of 12 students from the Faculty of Biology took part in the competition.

During the event, participants delivered high-level presentations, demonstrating strong skills in scientific literature analysis, critical thinking, and academic communication. Committee members posed challenging, discipline-specific questions, to which students responded with well-structured and evidence-based arguments.

Recognition of scientific work

At the conclusion of the competition, an awards ceremony was held. As planned, the authors of the three best presentations received monetary prizes of €1,000 each from Professor Philippe Carayon. 

The winners were:

• Hakob Perikhanyan — 2nd-year student of the "Biology" program

• Sose Markosyan — 3rd-year student of the "Biology" program

• Mari Gasparyan — 3rd-year student of the "Biochemistry and Biotechnology" program  

The competition became one of the key academic events of the faculty, providing a unique platform for international scientific collaboration, student motivation, and the promotion of academic excellence.

Professor Philippe Carayon on Armenian students' scientific potential 

Professor Carayon expressed deep admiration for the students’ level of preparation, scientific curiosity, and ability to conduct and present research in English. He noted that he had followed with great appreciation their motivation and genuine interest in contemporary biomedical science.

He emphasized that all participants successfully met the scientific challenge by selecting and analyzing research articles, presenting their findings in English, and responding to committee questions. According to him, participation itself was a significant achievement, even for those who did not receive awards.

Professor Carayon also expressed particular appreciation for the work of Dr. Anna Martirosyan, Anna Karapetyan, and the YSU team in organizing and delivering the initiative at a high academic level.

He voiced hope that the initiative will become an important platform for Armenia–France and YSU–Sorbonne University cooperation, and that it will expand further to include broader international scientific and biotechnology communities.

He added that discussions are already underway to establish the competition as an annual event, with the aim of continuous development and improvement. He also proposed involving students in creating the name and logo of future scientific events, allowing their creative ideas to shape the initiative's identity.