AUA Staff Attend International Staff Week at Freie University in Berlin
2 min readBERLIN, Germany — On June 26-30, staff from the American University of Armenia (AUA) attended the International Staff Week hosted by Freie University. The AUA group, led by Assistant Vice President Anahit Ordyan and including Administrative Assistants Ani Shahoyan and Gohar Sargsyan from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, actively participated in this international gathering that attracted more than 100 professionals from all over the world.
The International Staff Week aimed at fostering collaboration among representatives from various universities, providing a platform to exchange and learn from best practices. Notably, the event featured a special celebration commemorating the 60th anniversary of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s historic speech at Freie University in 1963.
During the event, AUA staff opted for two of the six available tracks: “Windows into Internationalization I: Erasmus beyond Erasmus” and “Windows into Internationalization II: Managing International Networks.” Besides participating actively in these group discussions, they made presentations on AUA, particularly highlighting its international mobility and cooperation opportunities.
The organizing committee had requested to share the AUA experience related to capacity building projects on the example of Erasmus+ “Boosting Armenian Universities Internationalization Strategy & Marketing (BOOST)’’ project. The presentation by A. Ordyan reflected on its goals and objectives, outcomes, spin-off projects, and lessons learned during the four-year term of the project. It resonated strongly with the attendees, sparking interest and prompting numerous inquiries from representatives worldwide who followed up with more questions about AUA and Armenia.
Further, A. Shahoyan presented the University programs, emphasizing the unique opportunities available to foreign students and the culturally and historically enriching environment they would experience.
The program of the week created a fitting platform for AUA to engage in new ideas and strategies for potential collaboration and institutional partnerships with other universities.
Reflecting on the significance of the international staff week, Anahit Ordyan stated, “This week was indeed a unique opportunity to promote our prized institution. While we did our best to cite the distinctive characteristics of AUA, we also realized the importance of enhancing its sustainable visibility through ensuring presence in the world’s rankings of higher education institutions.”
Gohar Sargsyan and Ani Shahoyan also shared their impressions, “The International Staff Week at FUB was an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues from universities worldwide, learn best practices, and serve as AUA ambassadors abroad spreading the word about our programs and available opportunities.”
The engagement of AUA representatives at the event paved the way for future collaboration with other universities and potential partnerships. AUA is committed to fostering these connections and exploring new opportunities for growth and advancement in line with its vision of a transformative educational experience for all students.
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 and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
