WEASA Micro Grant Projects: the success story of Ms Anahit PARZYAN from Armenia

Every summer, around 50 mid-career professionals from the Eastern Partnership, the Western Balkans, and Poland come to the College of Europe in Natolin to participate in the intensive program of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy (WEASA). The 2019 edition called Humans, Machines, Politics, Truth looked at how digital technology has transformed our thinking on social, political, economic, and security issues.

As a follow-up to workshops, lectures and study visits taking place on-site, a selected group of WEASA participants has an opportunity to implement related initiatives in their home countries with the support of the WEASA Micro Grant Projects. Each year, the projects implemented by our WEASA Alumni make a real impact. Therefore, we are extremely happy and proud to share one of the inspiring stories of these WEASA change-makers with the wider public.

Ms Anahit PARZYAN from Armenia, one of the recipients of a 2019 WEASA Micro Grant, has designed and implemented a campaign to raise awareness on cyber-security issues among high school and university students. Her diagnosis of the insufficient state-of-awareness on cyber-security issues was supported with extensive research. She came up with an idea to prepare an easy and accessible guideline for both students and teachers. Issues such as digital privacy, bullying in cyberspace, cyber trafficking were explained together with successful strategies on ensuring online safety.

What is more, the guideline provided ideas for creating a positive digital footprint. This way, young people would not only be safe online, but can also get actively engaged in making the internet a safer and more inspiring space for everyone.

The third phase of Anahit's initiative was a public forum which gathered more than 120 participants. The event was attended by a number of researchers and public figures, including the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science, Education, Sports and Youth of Armenia, and received wide media attention. The campaign has tangibly raised awareness on cyber-security and turned out to a measurable and durable success. We are looking forward to hear more from Anahit who continues to actively engage youth and decision makers into the discussion on digital security issues.