Chougher Maria Doughr Amajian
Community Engaged Research & Learning Officer
- Email: c.doughramajian@qub.ac.uk
Background
I have extensive experience in various forms of project management ranging from pioneering scholarship on Syrian refugees in Northern Ireland, leading Voices of Young Refugees in Europe as the elected president, and managing projects, campaigns and support services for migrant and ethnic minority LGBTQ+ individuals as the Migrant and Ethnic Minorities Officer at The Rainbow Project NI, to analysing resettlement and inclusion projects for newcomers and refugee students across Europe as a task force member with the European Students’ Union. Furthermore, I have supported the Widening Participation and Community Engagement Department at Stranmillis University College Belfast as the Widening Participation Officer and I have over seven years of professional work experience in the areas of educational development and community engagement within the non-profit sector and academia.
I hold graduate and postgraduate qualifications from the American University of Armenia and the University of Toronto in Communications, Human Rights and Genocide Studies. I recently obtained a M.Phil. degree in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation at Trinity College Dublin, as a recipient of the prestigious Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship.
Responsibilities within the University
I work with students and academics at Queen’s and with community partners to build collaborative research projects based on the needs of community organisations for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Together with my colleagues at the Science Shop, I work on the development and enhancement of learning and teaching with a particular focus on Science Shop research projects and curriculum development activities within the university which are co-developed with community and voluntary sector partners.
External Recognition
President at Voices of Young Refugees in Europe (VYRE)
Vice-President at Voicify
Committee Member at Rainbow Refugees NI
Obama Europe Leader at the Obama Foundation
Anti-Racism Task Force Member at IGLYO (The International LGBTQ+ Youth & Student Organisation)
Professional and Personal Interests
I love learning languages; I am a native speaker of Arabic and Armenian and I’m fluent in English. I was recently certified as an Arabic-English interpreter and I started learning Hebrew!
I am a peacebuilder and an advocate for refugee rights and LGBTQ+ people, working to raise common concerns and strengthen capacities, in order to contribute to more inclusive societies in Northern Ireland, Europe and beyond.