Steps towards the development of critical thinking in YSU

Starting from this academic semester, until 2025, the end of the research, the guest lecturer will teach the subject "Urban Studies" in the 3rd year of the Faculty of Sociology of YSU (two academic hours per week).

Appreciating this cooperation, Maria Gunko emphasizes not only the exchange of knowledge and experience but also the research carried out within the framework of the grant.

Maria Gunko was conducting research in the Lori region of the Republic of Armenia when she received Aram Vartikyan’s proposal (Assistant Professor of the Chair of Applied Sociology of the YSU Faculty of Sociology) to participate in the research grant.

The research, in which Maria Gunko participates, refers to the semantic, morphological, economic, and structural changes of some industrial cities of Armenia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is planned to compare the experience of these local cities with the experience of other post-industrial cities in the future. The programs used so far, which are aimed at "revitalizing" these cities after the industrial decline, will be compared.

Referring to the topic of the research, Maria Gunko mentioned, "We study the life and economy of the post-industrial cities of Armenia together with the Head of the Chair of Sociology Theory and History, Associate Professor Harutyun Vermishyan and Assistant Professor of Applied Sociology Chair Aram Vartikyan. During the meetings organized within the framework of the research, we often discuss and try to develop the research agenda and specify the list of cities that we plan to study. However, within the scope of the grant, my main responsibility is to teach".

The lectures of the Oxford University Ph.D. are devoted to the types of local and international cities as well as their prehistoric and historical stages of development.

In the framework of lectures, students study the characteristics of modern, pre-modern, post-modern, colonial, and post-colonial cities.

"I also present students with stories about the formation of major cities in the world, explaining how they have developed over time. We often discuss various issues in the field, for example, what sub-urbanization, urban agglomeration, and urbanization are..," said Dr. Maria Gunko of Oxford University, referring to the peculiarities of her teaching methods.

The guest lecturer develops individual teaching methods for each student, based on the student's abilities and interests.

Maria Gunko conducts some classes with her students in extracurricular conditions, visiting different cities of Armenia, and combining theoretical lessons with practical ones. The main goal of the guest lecturer is to develop students' critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to express their own opinions.

Referring to the cooperation with YSU, Maria Gunko assured us that it would be continuous.

Find more in the video below.