Navigating Trust ’23: AUA Students Host a Conference

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On May 9-11, students in Professor Theofanis Varvoglis’s Trust course hosted Navigating Trust ’23, a three-day online conference that brought together 130 participants from Armenia and abroad. The conference explored the different domains of trust under the umbrella theme of how technology development and adoption would impact trust.

Thus Navigating Trust ’23 revolved around the profound influence of technology on trust in various spheres of life. As society becomes increasingly interconnected and reliant on technology, understanding the dynamics of trust in the digital era has become rather crucial. The conference aimed to shed light on the evolving landscape of trust and its implications in personal, professional, and social contexts.

The event featured keynote speakers, psychologist Maria Giakoumakou and entrepreneur Jack Florentin, who respectively addressed trust issues in interpersonal relationships and the workplace. Also, seven teams of students presented projects in the areas of “Big Business and Trust,” including a discussion of vaccines, data security, and healthcare; “Trust and Relationships,” covering topics in dating apps and family; and “Predatory Trust,” focusing on trust in the workplace and online trolling.

In his opening remarks, Professor Varvoglis noted that the goal of this second conference was to offer students an opportunity to gain experience while also increasing their understanding of the significance of trust in our lives as individuals, communities, and broader society.

 “Trust is not only a feeling about something or someone; trust is a societal asset and is dependent on the mechanisms created by society. Such mechanisms become obsolete over time, especially now that technological developments affect our lives so directly. Reengineering the trust mechanisms becomes essential in maintaining and improving trust. This year’s students’ projects address that issue.“

Vana Bakalian (BAEC ‘24) shared her experience, saying, fex“The Navigating Trust 23 Conference was indeed an enriching experience because I learned how technology affects trust in various areas of life, such as businesses and relationships. Researching and presenting our projects to audiences from abroad was exciting as they voiced significant insights and perspectives.”

“I was surprised and honored to be invited to this beautiful conference organized by AUA students,” stated Jack Florentin, founder & CEO of EBITS. He noted that “I am an entrepreneur and not a Trust specialist, but through the years of my involvement in business I realized that the most important capital we owned was trust. Trust within our team, trust with our clients and partners. This was the focus of my presentation. I was impressed with the professionalism of the students’ presentations, both in terms of the content they presented and the way they presented it. I told them so during the conference. I want to share my kudos for the quality education AUA provides.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.