AUA Faculty and Staff Members Participate in Erasmus+ Exchange Program in Copenhagen

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YEREVAN, Armenia — From April 7-11, four representatives from the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment participated in the International Week 2025 hosted by University College Copenhagen (KP) in Denmark. The visit took place within the framework of the Erasmus+ Staff Exchange Program between AUA and KP.

The AUA Acopian Center delegation included Dr. Garabet Kazanjian, assistant professor at the Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering and aquatic ecology researcher at the AUA Acopian Center; Armen Danielyan, adjunct lecturer and researcher at the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment; and AUA Acopian Center grant management staff members Arpine Zakaryan and Haykanush Martirosyan.

Themed “Strengthening our Professions for a World of Wicked Problems,” the international week gathered educators and researchers from across the globe to explore innovative approaches to teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional well-being in the face of complex societal challenges. The program featured keynote addresses, workshops, staff sessions, and guest lectures.

As part of the academic program, Dr. Kazanjian delivered a guest lecture to students in KP’s Emergency and Risk Management program titled “Ensuring the Sustainability of Our Waters through Innovation and Citizen Engagement.” He introduced the notion of “wicked problems” from his own disciplinary perspective. Emphasizing the crucial role of citizen participation in addressing such multifaceted issues, Dr. Kazanjian presented the concept of citizen science and its growing relevance in promoting sustainable environmental practices by showcasing the OTTERS project — Societal Transformation for Water Stewardship through Scaling Up Citizen Science — funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program and led by the AUA Acopian Center. His presentation inspired student engagement, with several citizen science platforms shared for further exploration and participation.

Danielyan also gave a guest lecture titled “Post-Disaster Price Discovery and Regulation,” where he explored the economic mechanisms governments can use to stabilize markets and provide humanitarian aid following disasters. His talk introduced students to key economic principles and real-world applications relevant to crisis response.

In addition to the lectures, the AUA team hosted a poster session to present the University’s academic programs, research initiatives, and the work of the AUA Acopian Center. This session aimed to foster deeper collaboration with partner institutions and open new avenues for network expansion.

Zakaryan and Martirosyan also held separate meetings with Ida Harder Nielsen, assistant professor in the Emergency and Risk Management program at the University College Copenhagen, and Tilde Bruun Nabe-Nielsen, international advisor at KP, to discuss opportunities for future collaboration and to reinforce the existing partnership within the Erasmus+ framework and beyond.

AUA maintains several Erasmus+ mobility partnerships with European institutions. For more on AUA’s mobility and exchange programs, visit AUA’s international cooperation webpage. 

The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, a research center of the American University of Armenia (AUA), promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. The AUA Acopian Center’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity protection and conservation, greening the built environment, sustainable energy, as well as information technology and the environment. Visit http://ace.aua.am