Inclusion final conference
ERASMUS + INCLUSION final conference was organized on September 25, 2019. Coordinated by State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia and hosted by American University of Armenia, the final conference presented the major achievements of the project highlighting the productive cooperation among countries.
Among the guests were Zaruhi Batoyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of RA, Arevik Anapiosyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of RA, representatives from Erasmus Plus national office and organizations of the field, staff and faculty members from Armenian and Bosnian universities and high schools, as well as INCLUSION project consortium members from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Austria and London.
Randall Rhodes, AUA Provost, opened the conference welcoming all the participants and wishing productive discussions. Aram Isabekyan, SAFAA Rector, on behalf of the coordinating institution, shortly presented the impact of the project on the Academy’s activities focusing on the benefits. Zaruhi Batoyan and Arevik Anapiosyan also delivered welcoming speeches and highlighted the importance of the project on the Armenian educational system. Ruzanna Minasyan, INCLUSION project coordinator, presented the project, the activities implemented by the consortium during the 3 year and the major achievements.
The final conference provided a platform for fruitful and interactive discussions on the issues of organizing inclusive education in Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing examples of best practices in Austria, Belgium and Great Britain. The panel discussions were mainly focused on the following issues;
- Panel discussion 1: What is inclusion? (concept, legislation, overcoming the stereotypes, policies and procedures, why inclusion matters, how do we address the issue of inclusion, what are the cultural differences and similarities).
- Panel discussion 2: Teaching and Practicing Inclusion (teaching technologies, toolkit, best practices, quality assurance mechanisms).
- Panel discussion 3: Future of Inclusion.
During the panel discussions the consortium members presented the impact of INCLUSION project on their universities and the changes the institutions implemented taking into consideration the project’s outcomes.
The final conference ended with words of thanks and appreciation and with hope of new cooperation.
Lusine Shahazizyan