Adana Mirzoyan recently completed her Master of Science in Applied Geoinformatics at the University of Salzburg in November 2025. The master’s research focused on the relationship between medieval cultural heritage sites and their surrounding landscapes in Armenia’s Tsaghkunyats Mountains. By examining monasteries, churches, chapels, and fortresses, the study explored how factors such as elevation, visibility, and proximity to settlements influenced site selection within a highland environment.
In her master’s thesis, ‘Cultural Heritage and Landscape Patterns in the Highlands of the Kotayk Region, Armenia’ geographic information systems (GIS) were used to analyse terrain-related variables, spatial clustering, and visibility patterns. The research was part of the APPEAR project DeVision and assessed whether medieval builders intentionally selected elevated, symbolically significant, or strategically advantageous locations. The results contribute to a clearer understanding of Armenia’s cultural landscape and present a reproducible GIS-based analytical framework applicable to other mountainous regions with limited data availability.
The research contributes to capacity development in Armenia by demonstrating the use of GIS tools for cultural heritage documentation, landscape analysis, and evidence-based spatial planning. Adaptable GIS workflows were developed for use by stakeholders such as heritage authorities involved in documentation, conservation, and spatial evaluation, particularly in rural and mountainous contexts where robust spatial analysis is essential.
In 2023, Adana Mirzoyan participated in the APPEAR project DEVision at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) and subsequently became an APPEAR scholarship holder. Results from the master’s thesis were presented as three separate papers at two international conferences, the ICCEE in Yerevan and the ICAHCA in Vienna, where all submitted abstracts were accepted. Full papers are currently in preparation for publication.
During the MSc programme in Austria, Adana Mirzoyan engaged in additional academic activities, including solar energy analysis, spatial data infrastructure development, and interdisciplinary coursework that complemented the thesis research and expanded technical expertise in geospatial analysis.
The MSc programme had a significant professional impact, strengthening skills in independent research, advanced GIS applications, and scientific communication. It provided a strong academic foundation and further motivated continued research in GIScience and cultural heritage studies. The international academic environment in Salzburg also fostered adaptability, cross-cultural communication skills, and collaboration in multicultural settings.
Adana Mirzoyan holds a Master’s degree in Applied Geodesy and Cadastre from NUACA and has professional experience as a co-founder of a geodetic surveying company, working as a surveying specialist. Additional professional roles include positions at the Cadastre Committee of Armenia and Ital Solar, with responsibilities in land surveying, solar energy site analysis, and geospatial modelling. Research interests lie at the intersection of cultural heritage landscapes, GIScience, spatial analysis, and sustainable development.
