On February 6, 2018, Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization-NGO officially launched “Yerevan MOOC Camp: Coursera for Refugees” project funded by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

The objective of this educational project is to improve Business English skills among Syrians, other displaced persons, and locals, as well as to contribute to their socio-economic involvement in the civic life in Armenia.

The 66 participants will be enrolled in various Business English courses (Basic Business English, Business English, and English for Business and Entrepreneurship) conducted by the world’s best universities through the Coursera online education system. Upon successful completion, the participants will receive certificates, the cost of which will be covered by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

Welcoming remarks were given by Hayasa Tahmazyan, Vice President of Aleppo-NGO, Somer Briers, Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy, and Diana Sitt, Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy. They introduced the «Yerevan MOOC Camp Coursera for Refugees» project, emphasized the importance of English in international business, discussed the challenges of online learning, and encouraged the students to take advantage of the resources provided to help them learn effectively.

“By taking these free classes of Business English, the war-affected Syrians, as well as locals in Armenia, will have time to learn Basic Business English, which in turn will contribute to the acquisition of new employment opportunities and effective business communication in the international arena,” said Ms. Tahmazyan.

During the entire course, the participants will have the support of facilitators Avedis Aposhian, Vardouhi Komjian, and Hayk Chalian who will hold individual appointments with each participant at the Aleppo-NGO office, helping them enrol in online courses and assisting with the course material.

The facilitators also welcomed the participants of the program and gave short introductions to the courses they are going to teach.

Throughout the program, the participants are free to use the computers at Aleppo-NGO, as well as organize different group discussions, in order to help them effectively retain the material.