Extracurricular Activities in Higher Education: Challenges, Economic Implications, and Practices in Armenia and the EU

Arusyak Aleksanyan; Narine Manukyan; Nensi Mkrtchyan; Rafal Rebilas; Narine Vardanyan

doi:10.23762/FSO_VOL13_NO2_3

Published : 2025-07-26

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025)

Extracurricular Activities in Higher Education: Challenges, Economic Implications, and Practices in Armenia and the EU

Arusyak Aleksanyan

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1729-1532

Narine Manukyan

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2648-8003

Nensi Mkrtchyan

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4689-9552

Rafal Rebilas

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7926-1155

Narine Vardanyan

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8412-7495

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL13_NO2_3

Abstract

This paper explores the role of extracurricular activities (ECAs), specifically student self-government, in fostering leadership and entrepreneurial competencies in Armenian higher education. This case study examines educational management and provides insights relevant to other transition economies, with comparative lessons from Sweden and Poland. ECAs emerge as major drivers of human capital formation by enhancing employability, civic participation, and career readiness: qualities increasingly sought by evolving labour markets. Despite these benefits, many higher education governance systems encounter considerable legislative and institutional limitations on the effectiveness of ECAs and student self-management. This study uses qualitative research methods such as document analysis, focus groups, and SWOT analysis to identify legislative loopholes, institutional vulnerabilities and untapped opportunities in transition economies such as Armenia. The study aims to explore how EU best practices can be assimilated to enhance student participation in governance, employability, and entrepreneurship skills. Key findings indicate legislative and institutional gaps, as well as underutilised opportunities, to strengthen student self-government in Armenia, identifying areas for reform and offering practical recommendations on how to develop effective ECAs. This research also contributes to theoretical and practical discourses in emphasising the transformative potential of ECAs as a means of leadership and employability advancement in contexts without a robust institutional base. By assimilating EU best practices, Armenian universities can foster more equitable and effective student self-governance models that contribute to leadership development and economic outcomes. This study offers actionable insights for policymakers and university administrators, highlighting how strategic governance reforms and proactive student engagement management can maximise the transformative potential of ECAs for human capital development and career readiness in transitional economies.

Keywords:

extracurricular activities, student self-government, civic responsibility, leadership, employability and entrepreneurial skills, educational management in transition economies, human capital.

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Aleksanyan, A., Manukyan, N., Mkrtchyan, N., Rebilas, R., & Vardanyan, N. (2025). Extracurricular Activities in Higher Education: Challenges, Economic Implications, and Practices in Armenia and the EU. Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 13(2), 52–75. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL13_NO2_3

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