Florida State University (FSU) has hosted officials from the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) as part of a project designed to strengthen entrepreneurship education. The initiative is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of State and involves FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and Learning Systems Institute (LSI).
The collaboration focuses on promoting innovation through STEM and social entrepreneurship, with activities taking place both in Armenia and Florida. Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College, stated, “As the nation’s first standalone college of entrepreneurship, we know that innovation grows stronger through collaboration. Our partnership with Armenia allows both institutions to learn from each other, elevate entrepreneurship education, and prepare students to lead in a global economy.”
Susana Santos serves as principal investigator for the project, while Vilma Fuentes is co-principal investigator. Santos emphasized the significance of international partnerships: “Building bridges between the U.S. and Armenia, especially with a focus on entrepreneurship and at the student level, is a powerful force for growth and prosperity. The partnership we’ve forged between FSU and ASUE is poised to pay dividends for generations to come.”
Over the summer, representatives from FSU visited ASUE’s campus in Yerevan to formalize the partnership. During their visit, they trained more than 30 ASUE faculty members on current approaches to teaching entrepreneurship.
Eric Liguori, associate dean at the Jim Moran College, highlighted some challenges faced by Armenian entrepreneurs: “The data make clear that entrepreneurs in Armenia have the motivation but lack one of the most crucial supports — access to quality entrepreneurship education. Our hope is by beginning to bridge this gap, we can empower the next generation of Armenians to create jobs and opportunities that strengthen communities across the country.”
The project includes several initiatives such as launching ASUE’s new STEM Social Innovators Incubator and developing a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program connecting students from both universities.
“It is so exciting to work with Armenian colleagues and introduce this high-impact teaching methodology into a new part of the FSU curriculum,” said Fuentes. “The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship seems like the ideal place to explore this innovative approach to instruction and internationalization. Our COIL project will promote entrepreneurship through design thinking and virtual collaboration between American and Armenian students.”
In September, Lusine Danielyan from ASUE visited FSU’s Tallahassee campus along with Grisha Amirkhanayn for further development of their joint efforts. Their visit included tours of university facilities such as FSU’s Innovation Hub and participation in an experiential training program for educators.
“One of the greatest things about this partnership is how people here are open to collaboration, how they are keen to make our university develop and how they are willing to cooperate with us,” Amirkhanayn commented.
Leaders plan to expand these efforts by launching an FSU/ASUE Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship aimed at helping students gain knowledge while fostering international connections.
“It is very important to have these international collaborations to learn, to see, to exchange, and to meet people and create these connections,” Danielyan said. “I believe that’s where everything big starts, just two people talking, then doing a small project, then something bigger, and then changing lives.”
LSI develops educational strategies based on research for improved learning outcomes across different environments. The Jim Moran College offers multiple undergraduate majors, graduate programs, minors as well as extracurricular opportunities focused on equipping students with entrepreneurial skills needed in today’s economy.
