YSU celebrates Book Giving Day with a series of events, including book donations, discussions, and workshops

The Role and Significance of Libraries  

YSU Library, welcoming students and guests, presented its activities, reading rooms, book collections, services, and opportunities it offers. 

The events also included a book donation drive, encouraging its active readers. In parallel, an exhibition of rare and antique books was held, presenting exclusive publications and works of both scientific and artistic value.

YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan congratulated the entire university community and library staff, highlighting their significant role in preserving and disseminating knowledge.

"Books have been and remain the cornerstone of intellectual development in our society. YSU, as a leading center of science and education, continually encourages reading and supports the formation of a book-loving society. Our library plays a crucial role in this process, not only as a place of preservation but also as a platform for knowledge exchange. Recently, we signed an agreement with the Izmirlian Foundation, which supports the renovation of the library’s first floor, thus providing new opportunities for our students and professors," he noted.

Avetik Mejlumyan, Director of YSU Library, also welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the ongoing active cooperation between the library and students aimed at promoting a culture of reading.

"Book Giving Day is a wonderful occasion not only to strengthen the love for reading but also to explore and discover new ways of developing the library. We are always ready to support our students by providing high-quality literature and modern learning opportunities," he emphasized.

Meeting of Literature and Research

One of the day’s events was a workshop by Lusine Khachatryan, Director of the Center for Continuing Education and a writer, titled "The Researcher as a Writer (and Vice Versa)". The speaker addressed topics such as interaction, research ethics, and the boundaries between reality and fiction in literary creation. 

At the end of the workshop, active participants received Lusine Khachatryan’s book Syrianovel ("Սիրիավեպ").  

Discussion on Translation Literature  

A discussion was held at the university on the translation collection The Individual and the Public: On the Interrelationship of Texts ("Անհատը և հանրայինը. տեքստեր փոխհարաբերության մասին"), with the participation of sociologist Harutyun Vermishyan (Head of the Chair of Sociology Theory and History at YSU, Associate Professor), psychologist Sona Manusyan (Representative of YSU Laboratory of Personality and Social Environment), and sociologist Mariam Khalatyan (Representative of Socioscope NGO). They discussed the collection's significance in understanding the connection between the individual and society. 

The Art of Literary Creation

Contemporary writer Grig conducted a workshop titled "How to Create Characters and Manage Fates". He focused on techniques for creating characters, principles for constructing plots, and the writer's responsibility. Grig elaborated on the techniques for ensuring psychological depth in characters, different methods of plot construction, and the writer’s accountability to the reader. He emphasized that a successful literary character is multilayered, evolving, and that their actions are logically grounded. 

Active participants received Grig’s books The Cat of Jesus ("Հիսուսի կատուն") and FRIEDENSDORF.

Discussion of Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow

During the discussion of Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, the speakers explored the book’s main ideas, focusing on how "fast" and "slow" thinking models influence decision-making, the consequences of these processes, and how they manifest in everyday life through psychological biases.

Kahneman was the first to approach phenomena previously explained in economics from a psychological perspective. His book systematically examines cognitive errors and shows how psychological approaches affect our decisions and the stages they pass.

Emphasizing the need for efficient management of cognitive processes, the speakers underlined the practical applicability of the book’s insights in various fields, such as education, management systems, and beyond.

Among the participants at the discussion were Levon Babajanyan (Associate Professor at the Chair of Social Philosophy, Ethics, and Aesthetics, YSU Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology), Davit Hayrapetyan (Associate Professor at the Chair of General Psychology, YSU Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology), and Lilit Hayrapetyan (translator of the book).