BSU Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIdS)
CIdS is conceived as a hub of innovation in the field of higher education and scholarship in Armenia.
The mission of the Centre is to create a favourable environment for the development and implementation of innovative research and educational approaches. It aims to:
➣ stimulate interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research addressing complex and multidimensional problems and enabling the synergies between Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences,
➣ facilitate the consolidation of Armenian scholarly community and development of academic culture in Armenia,
➣ facilitate the integration of Armenian researchers into the international academic community and involvement of the researchers into international academic projects,
➣ provide methodological support and professional development opportunities to scholars,
➣ develop innovative interdisciplinary teaching programmes and activities and stimulate the integration of research and teaching,
➣ contribute to the strengthening of the dialogue between the academic community and practitioners in private and public sectors; provide methodological support and scholarly grounded solutions for evidence-based decision- and policy-making,
➣ develop soft skills of BSU students, staff and interested practitioners (critical and creative thinking, strategic planning, argumentation, etc.).
The Centre organises and implements the following activities:
➣ research projects, including joint research projects on national and international levels,
➣ innovative teaching courses and research seminars,
➣ training sessions, workshops and seminars focusing, in particular, on the methodology of research and teaching, as well as soft skills development,
➣ conferences, workshops and academic roundtables,
➣ publishing of research articles / studies in national and international peer-reviewed academic journals,
➣ information sessions on professional development opportunities,
➣ training sessions for students, staff and practitioners.
The Centre disseminates information about its activities through the website, quarterly Digest and social media.
CIdS is headed by Dr. Anna Khvorostiankina who coordinates Centre’s academic and administrative activity. Dr. Khvorostiakina is Associate Professor of Law at UNESCO Chair on Human Rights, Democracy and Political Science.
Anna Khvorostiankina holds a PhD in Legal Theory (Legislation Institute of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 2012); Second Level Master in “Advanced Studies in European and Transnational Law” (University of Trento, Italy, 2006); and LL.M. degree with the focus on law-making theory (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, Ukraine, 2005).
She had been working for National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" as Associate Professor at the Department of General Jurisprudence and Public Law (2008-2019). In 2017, she was a Visiting Associate Professor at Stanford University, USA, teaching a course “Constitutional Cultures in Transition: Constitutional Values and Identities in Post-Soviet Space”.
Dr. Khvorostiankina is a Member of the Management Board of the Association of European Studies for the Caucasus (AESC).
Dr. Khvorostiankina's research interests include Europeanisation of legal systems of EaP countries, recent developments in theory and practice of judicial argumentation, and particularities of the Rule of Law in societies in transition. Her current research projects focus on Europeanisation of Armenian legal system and constitutional change in Armenia.