YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce a recent publication by Dr. Knar Khachatryan, AUA professor and academic director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Technology Transfer, in New Directions for Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed academic journal.
Co-authored with Dr. Valentina Hartarska of Auburn University (AU), the article describes an experiment exploring the realities of and opportunities presented by internationalization at home within the scope of courses on research methods taught at AU and AUA. Students from the United States and Armenia were asked to complete a specially designed joint assignment that allowed them to engage in experiential learning. The authors suggest that such assignments can effectively enhance students’ interest in research methods courses and improve their learning outcomes. Further, they argue that this approach demonstrates that efforts to internationalize higher education are effective even in challenging courses.
Reflecting on the publication, Dr. Khachatryan remarked that while study-abroad and international-student programs are efficient ways of enhancing students’ international experience, such opportunities are limited and outside the purview of many students due to financial, travel, and other logistical problems. “Recently, internationalization-at-home initiatives have become popular ways of overcoming these barriers. In our small study, we found that joint group assignments were effective in broadening the horizon of students, both in professional aspects and in terms of cultural enrichment,” she said.
The project also unfolded amid an unexpected and deeply disruptive event. On September 19, 2023, the day of the first scheduled student presentations, a large-scale military attack was launched by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh). 110,000 ethnic Armenians were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, and hundreds were killed. “Dr. Hartaska and I made sure that students from AUA were heard, and we used the moment to facilitate a thoughtful and respectful discussion with students from AU, reinforcing the value of internationalization-at-home for intercultural understanding,” Dr. Khachatryan concluded.
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.