DISCOVERING UNIVERSITY. KATERINA ALTUNYAN

Katerina Altunyan narrates.

Academic activity is like eating an exotic fruit.

The most important work for me is carrying out scientific and educational activities. Self-education and imparting knowledge are intertwined because to teach, you must first learn yourself. I often compare scientific and educational work with eating exotic fruit. Although you have not tasted it yet, you can imagine the taste. Academic activity creates such a connection for me.

Teaching methods and approaches.

Each professor is unique in his approach, and I try to be so so that students remember me through the teaching method I use. I always emphasize the use of information technology to ensure interactive communication between the lecturer and the audience. I actively apply the method of games, involving students in problems through gamification, so that they form an objective understanding of the given problem. In this sense, I attach great importance to the implementation of research methodology and tools. I think that through research work it is possible to moderate limited thinking, break stereotypes and ultimately promote a creative approach to understanding, and analyzing any problem.

Student expectations and ways to avoid conflict.

When a lecturer works with an audience, he must first understand what the audience expects from him. It helps the lecturer to formulate the purpose of the course and allows evaluating objectively the obtained results later. If I felt that maybe the result was not satisfactory from the point of view of meeting expectations, I tried to understand the reasons. For example, each student's research paper receives a detailed review through feedback, with steps to improve the work and interpretation of shortcomings. In my opinion, to meet expectations and avoid any conflict situations, the key to being a successful lecturer is to be thorough, conscientious, and dedicated to work.

Face the challenges.

The more a person develops, the more challenges they face. Any new opportunity implies many challenges, the classification of which is determined by the cultural and ethnic value system of the society. I think the first challenge is depression. I can say from my experience that the best way to combat it is purposefulness. The second challenge I see is inhibiting representation or engagement. The best way to overcome this challenge is to develop institutionalism. How can you succeed if you are not integrated into the process or organization? Therefore, I think that the effective mechanism of involvement in science is to develop institutionalism, to achieve its dominance. The next challenge is the skepticism towards women that often manifests itself in professional activities. In public life, women have the opportunity to assume high responsibility and make important decisions.

YSU women 10 years ago and now.

The involvement of women, in my opinion, has increased, and when I browse the university website, I see that the number of women in the faculties is not small. I am one of the ones who have been lucky enough to succeed in this field, but I have to say that there is much more work in the invisible part of the iceberg, only a very small part of which is visible. Even if you do not succeed at one point in time, it does not mean you will not make it in the future. I should mention that the involvement of women in scientific and educational activities is active: everyone just has to be fully aware of the responsibility.

Be responsible and achieve more.

You should always evaluate people according to the results of their work. When you see that the performance is high, define higher roles: not the approach that if she is a woman, she is not worth entrusting to her a matter of high responsibility. If we bear responsibility, then we must fully do our part.

Enjoyable aspects of the university experience.

Students always inspire me because not only do they learn from me, but I also learn from them, and they push me to continue self-education. I liken this to sports: to keep your muscles strong and in good physical condition, you need to exercise regularly. The same goes for scientific and educational activities: it requires constant brain training. I am constantly in that sports lifestyle, living that lifestyle. The positive side is that I constantly communicate with the youth; I have the opportunity to know different generations, to understand the change in thinking, current problems, and challenges. I love my profession very much. I always say that I am one of those lucky ones who have the opportunity to do what they love.

The driving force is to inspire and aspire.

I love my homeland, Armenia, and even when I leave for a short time, I look forward to my return. I never made long-term plans to live abroad. I think every person has his mission in this life, and my mission is to serve my motherland. My motto is "inspire and aspire". This is perhaps the most important driving force that enables you to do your job better every day.

So that all women...

In the professional field, it is customary to wish women strength and energy, because a woman combines several roles and does not have any specific role. To develop leadership, to speak as much as possible about modern perceptions and approaches of leadership in the public arena, and, finally, to develop a formula for leadership in the Armenian reality this is my advice to all women: leadership in a field of human activity is simply a necessity so that people in that field can succeed.

Lyudmila Shirvanyan