NEW EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: YSU ENCOURAGES INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

Karine Hovhannisyan from the Faculty of Journalism and Mariam Abrahamyan from the Faculty of Theology are among the brave ones who expressed their desire to become the first master's students of the unprecedented initiative, which, according to them, is inspiring and at the same time binding.

The supervisors of the scientific research are the head of the Department of Religious Studies of the Faculty of Theology of YSU, associate professor, Ph.D. Pargev Barseghyan and Satenik Grigoryan, lecturer of the Faculty of Journalism. According to them, such a project involves students with non-standard thinking, who are ready for a new format, are not afraid to be the first, and have flexible communication skills, which is of key importance.

Both Karine and Mariam chose the topic of the master's thesis based on its relevance and necessity today from religious, moral, and psychological, as well as media practical perspectives.

The main concern that arose along with the choice of the topic was the same for both students. Whose name will be written on the title page of the master's thesis? After the first meeting and acquaintance of the students, all the concerns disappeared, and the goal became to achieve the best results with joint efforts.

For master's students and their academic supervisors, this cooperation is an opportunity for a comprehensive study of the topic, enrichment of knowledge, learning, and teaching at the same time.

For Karine, a student of the Faculty of Journalism, this is a new and somewhat unfamiliar field.

"It is very interesting to study a topic about which I previously had a superficial understanding, but now while writing my master's thesis, I continue to learn more about religion and religious organizations," she says.

Unlike Karine, for Mariam, a theology student, it is not the study of religious organizations that is new, but the PR tools used by them.

"This cooperation is a wonderful opportunity not only to expand professional abilities and horizons but also to learn teamwork and cooperative working style, thanks to which we overcome the difficulties that arise," emphasizes Mariam.

Academic supervisor Pargev Barseghyan, emphasizing the importance and necessity of such collaborations in terms of expanding inter-faculty and inter-professional ties, notes: "In our rapidly developing era, a comprehensive study of the field is difficult, and the research carried out within the scope of this thesis fills that gap to some extent."

Satenik Grigoryan also adds that thanks to this interaction, the work becomes fuller, more multi-polar, and richer in scientific and factual terms.

"The idea of interdisciplinary master's theses was exciting and unique from the beginning. The Faculty of Journalism always moves towards the new and innovative, that's why the faculty has initiated the idea of joint theses for the second time", says the academic supervisor.

The scientific group expects to have a proper presentation of a master's quality thesis, which will be a novelty to the scientific community and useful to the whole society, contributing to the spread of media literacy in the given field. They hope that their cooperation will be an example for other students and professors, making the initiative of a collaborative master's thesis continuous.

It should be noted that the master’s students of YSU journalism, theology, philosophy and psychology, economics, and management faculties as well carry out inter-faculty scientific research.

Lilit Mkrtchyan