From knowledge to skills: YSU concludes intra-university internship program

The program aimed to contribute to the development of students' professional skills, ensure their effective, high-quality participation in partner and internal programs, and support YSU units by providing an opportunity to attract additional human resources and distribute workloads more effectively.

From theory to practice: Students share impressions

Program participants said the initiative was a good opportunity for professional growth. Ani Abrahamyan, a student at the Faculty of European Languages and Communication, completed her internship at the faculty office. She said she was involved in document management. "I learned to collect, analyze and distribute quite extensive information," she said.

Astghik Gabrielyan, a master's student at the Faculty of International Relations who worked at the International Cooperation Department, emphasized the program's role in her future career.

"I had done a lot of volunteer work before, but I had not had this kind of work experience in the field of international cooperation. I learned about the program through university emails. I am very glad that such programs are organized at Yerevan State University. This is valuable experience for building a professional path in the future," she said.

Students were involved in content creation, event organization, digital communication, website management, application processing and various other tasks. According to them, they gained not only practical professional knowledge but also developed soft skills.

Building university community and new culture

YSU Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Development and Innovation Mikayel Hovhannisyan emphasized that the program is based on the idea of using the university's internal professional resources as effectively as possible. Stressing the need to step out of the "comfort zone," he said: "Development lies outside the 'comfort zone.' The more often and consciously we step out of that zone, the faster we will develop and record interesting new results."

According to him, the intra-university internship program is based on several conceptual approaches. First, the university, as an active institution, should be able to use its professional resources as effectively as possible. Second, outside the formal educational process, students should also be given opportunities within the university to apply their knowledge in practice. Third, it is necessary to encourage students' initiative.

The vice-rector said the program also aims to develop an intra-university culture. In this context, he emphasized: "In addition to being an academic and research institution, the university is also a community whose members include lecturers, researchers, administrative staff and students. The development of that community requires the implementation of new programs and consistent work."

First-stage results and future of program

Astghik Mnatsakanyan, Director of the YSU Alumni and Career Center, presented the program's results and evaluation mechanisms.

"Students received a questionnaire, and similar questionnaires were also sent to the host units. As a result of comparing them, a certain evaluation scale was developed," she said.

Summarizing the success of the first stage of the program, she noted that three students have already been employed by the units where they completed their internships.

Mnatsakanyan said the program will be continuous.

Referring to students' proposals to extend the internship program's duration, the organizers said a more flexible schedule could be introduced, lasting one semester or even one year.

At the end of the event, selected interns received certificates and were encouraged with cash awards.