Nora Hayrapetyan studies at the University of Erfurt Global Communication, Politics and Society and is currently completing a 3-month internship with the Thuringia International team. We would like to take this opportunity to bring you closer to the Armenian market with this expertise in the following interview.
Hello Nora, first of all, a warm welcome to the Thuringia International team. What economic cooperation opportunities do you see between Thuringia and Armenia?
Currently, economic contacts are predominantly limited to individual trade relations: The LEG company database contains only a few Thuringian companies that export goods to Armenia or import them from there. However, this starting position does not rule out further forms of cooperation; quite the contrary. I am convinced that existing, so far rather sporadic economic relations between Thuringia and Armenia can be strategically developed further. From my perspective, opportunities arise particularly where Thuringia's technological strengths can be combined with Armenia's development needs: Thuringia has proven competencies in the fields of optics and photonics, microelectronics, sensor technology, artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, dual vocational training, and technology networking – all areas that meet growing interest and structural demand in Armenia.
From these considerations, in my view, several concrete cooperation perspectives can be derived: These include in particular training and skilled worker cooperations, such as dual education programs, structured exchange formats, or so-called train-the-trainer approaches. Furthermore, innovation and start-up cooperations between Armenian technoparks and Thuringian innovation centers offer opportunities to jointly advance technological developments. I can also well imagine formats in which Armenian and Thuringian companies from the aforementioned areas meet directly and explore cooperations. This would be a first important step for future joint projects and long-term cooperations. In addition, there is cooperation potential in which Armenia could serve as a development and technology location for Thuringian companies. One example would be collaboration in the IT and software sector: Thuringian companies could develop innovative software solutions together with Armenian start-ups or enter into outsourcing partnerships for programming and development projects.
Overall, my perspective is deliberately optimistic: not despite, but precisely because of Armenia's manageable market size, I see considerable potential for specialized, knowledge-based, and long-term economic relations.
What are your plans after your studies?
A question that probably all international students get asked multiple times. And every time, this question puts me in an inner dilemma: Should I build my professional future in my home country or continue my path in Germany?
But recently, after I started working in Germany, I realized that this question might not be the right one for me at all. It's not just about a country – even though for a long time I could imagine returning to my homeland, it's more about the working environment and the business culture in which I want to develop professionally.
Naturally, rebuilding a Career career in a foreign culture and in a different language is by no means easy, especially when the work culture differs significantly in key aspects. Nevertheless, such challenges can be overcome with time, a willingness to learn, and a long-term perspective, and can enable sustainable professional development.
That is why I would phrase my question differently: Is it about returning to my homeland and starting over there? – Or is it more about further developing my potential here in Germany and learning from professional structures as well as experienced specialists? I am aware that professionalism is by no means limited to certain countries: Even in Armenia, I could benefit from my German education. Nevertheless, the available resources in my home country are significantly more limited, so only a few job opportunities exist that correspond to my education and my long-term professional profile.
The internship at LEG has not only opened up new professional perspectives for me in Germany, but also provided an interesting and future-oriented view of the development opportunities in my home country. I am convinced that sustainable changes in working and thinking practices begin where appreciative relationships are cultivated and professional, partnership-based business relationships with countries like Germany are established.
Ultimately, my initial question of whether I want to stay in Germany or not no longer presents itself to me as an either-or. My professional path in Germany does not mean distance from my homeland, but rather opens up the opportunity for me to develop competencies that I can also contribute in Armenia in the long term. This is the essential thing I have learned from my internship.
Thank you very much for the conversation and all the best for the future
