Two AUA Students Selected to Take Part in the European Youth Parliament Session In Ireland in March 2016

2 min read

DILIJAN, Armenia – American University of Armenia students, Iren Stepanyan and Edvard Poghosyan, were among seven university students from Armenia who were selected to take part in the 81st International Session of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). The theme for the March 2016 session that will take place in Dublin and Belfast, Ireland, is “Crossing Borders, Transcending Conflict.”

The group of seven students was chosen to represent Armenia by jury and delegate votes during the Dilijan Academic EYP Forum (DAEF) that took place in October 2015. About 85 participants from 20 European countries, including 38 participants from Armenia, met in the picturesque town to discuss continuing EU-Armenia integration in different spheres, including foreign affairs, legal affairs, economic and monetary affairs, environment and public health, human rights, and civil liberties.

“It was an important opportunity to meet lots of people from different cultures, different countries, and different backgrounds who have different perspectives and can work together to come up with new solutions for a common problem.  It’s an opportunity to think out of the box,” Poghosyan, who was also selected as one of three best Armenian delegates, said.

The DAEF session, which was titled “The Eastern Partnership and EU: On the Way to a Deeper Integration” and was funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, consisted of team-building activities, committee work, Euro Village, Euro Concert, and general assembly.

Eva Karapetyan, who was part of the Forum organizing team, noted that the main goal of the Forum is to engage youth in non-formal education and to help them become aware of global issues. She added that EYP simulates the structure and functions of the European Parliament and that the Forum is an opportunity for young leaders to gain experience on the global scene.  Karapetyan also said interactions within such forums create awareness about Armenian culture and issues.

Poghosyan noted that committee work within DAEF provides important opportunities for direct interaction between the delegates from different countries and that “we can learn how others coped with similar problems that we’re having in Armenia, rather than just reading about it on the internet or elsewhere.”

Most of the foreign delegates were in Armenia for the first time, and Poghosyan said that some had not even heard about the country prior to their visit. “They fell in love with Armenian culture, the Armenian people, and Armenian hospitality, and were impressed by the high-level of knowledge among the Armenian delegates.” Poghosyan stated that he was certain they will be returning in the future.

Nine out of 17 AUA students who participated in the DAEF this October

AUA student, Iren Stepanyan, who is set to go to Ireland in March 2016, debating during DAEF’s General Assembly in Dilijan

 AUA Student, Armenuhi Hovakimyan, Chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commitee, leading one of its sessions at the DAEF

Delegates to the Dilijan Academic EYP Forum. Edvard Poghosian (center, in a white shirt) is standing next to Iren Stepanyan. Both are AUA students who were chosen to take part in the EYP session in Ireland in March 2016.