Armenians in Italy

Every foreigner working in Armenia has heard the words “Kamats, Kamats" as they attempt to push a new project, program or idea forward. “Kamats, Kamats “(gamatz, gamatz) is literally translated "slowly, slowly." In reality, it can mean "be patient" or "it'll happen one day" or it can connote "we'll see", leaving one totally in the dark as to whether any action will ever be taken. It has long been a way of life in Armenia.

Who are the graduate students of AUA? They are the sons and daughters of retired engineers, financially-strapped government workers and teachers, underemployed doctors, nouveau riche traders and shop owners, and of just ordinary people who are still trying to adjust to the newly-independent status of their ancient nation. They are young men and women who are optimistic about Armenia's national treasure: the children. Finally, AUA students are local Armenians who are very open to learning Western theories and practices—in spite of the generally "conservative" nature of their culture.

The Armenian presence in Venice got a major boost a few years ago with the relocation from Milan of the Diaspora's leading research institute devoted to ancient Armenian architecture and culture. For almost 30 years, the non-profit Centro Studi e Documentazione della Cultura Armena, has not only stubbornly persevered in the study of historical Armenian churches and monuments, but also shared its wealth of information with the rest of the world.

The Island of San Lazzaro — It all started 300 years ago with a friar by the name of Mekhitar Bedrossian of Sebastia, a young clergyman with a dream and determination to do more than preach the Gospel. The church then was not in danger, but the era was one of the most perilous in Armenian history. Armenia was subjected to devastation as a result of major wars between its neighbors — Turkey and Persia.

Although an Armenian printing press was functioning in the Ottoman Empire at the end of the sixteenth century, the two centuries of warfare and the treatment of the Armenians by local lords in eastern Anatolia had resulted in a backward society. Only a few books, all on religion, were published. The earliest concrete evidence of renewed Armenian cultural activity began in the late seventeenth century.

Long before tourists discovered Venice, Armenian merchants had already dropped anchor in the city, one of the early trading capitals of Europe. Two of these Armenians were Samuel Mooratian and Raphael Gharamian, businessmen from Madras, India, who had established trading posts and second resi­dences in Venice and the nearby town of Padova between 1834 and 1836.

In 1992, I was 25 years old, working as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand in Boston, bored, single, looking for adventure, a way to help out in this big world, and an opportunity to learn, and expand my horizons. Luckily I was accepted into the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps then told me that I could be a volunteer in Armenia.

How can anyone combine mountain biking, orthodontics, journalism and history to serve the Armenian cause? Ask Dr. Pietro Kuciukian, a man with one thing on his mind: justice. He is not belligerent or vengeful, but rather a soft spoken 56-year-old professional with a mission who has made a pledge to himself to be more than just faithful to his Armenian heritage and roots. "Until 1983, I did not even like fellow Armenians,"Dr. Kuciukian says without hesitation. "That's how I felt." But then something happened.

From the early 13th century to the middle of the 14th, the Armenian seaport of Ayas, situated on the bay of Alexandretta, in Cilicia, became one of the most important seaports. It was an emporium of trade for Italian, French, Flemish, Persian, Indian, Syrian, Chinese, and other merchants. To the port of Ayas came the ships of Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Sicily, Marseilles, and those of Catalonia. Armenia once again became a link between east and west, between the Latin and Greek worlds and the Moslem.

The LL.M. program at AUA was launched in 1996 by a grant from the United States Information Agency. The grant will fund a two year graduate program for one graduating cycle. To implement this program, AUA established a partnership with the University Of California School Of Law at Berkeley (Boalt Hall). Professor Richard Buxbaum, Ralston Professor of International Law at Boalt Hall and the Dean of International and Area Studies at UC Berkeley is now the Coordinator of the AUA LL.M. program providing the leadership necessary to institute this new endeavor.

The ancient Italian city state of Venice sent its first consul to the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia in 1196, planting the seeds of an 800-year-old relationship between the two nations. The move was in response to Armenian King Leo II’s liberal policies and granting of special trade privileges, including tax exemptions and special import permits, to Italian merchants of the era.

Four years ago when I first joined AUA as the Coordinator of its Public Health Program, I asked myself what makes AUA special? Now that I have accepted the responsibility of the Presidency of AUA, I have to explain to others why AUA is unique and special. I have spent a number of years as a student, faculty member, and Dean at the American University of Beirut. I have developed my career as a professor of epidemiology and an academic administrator at one of the most prestigious institutions in our field; Johns Hopkins.

Gaianè Casnati is a young and talented architect in love with Armenia, its ancient churches and monuments, and her Italian fiancé — but not necessarily in that order. She credits her love of everything Armenian to her grandfather, the late Onnig Manoukian, a man with a singular passion and life-long commitment to promoting international recognition of Armenia's rich Christian architectural heritage.

With 400 degree students enrolled in its sixth year of academic programs and with an eye to future strengthening and expansion, the American University of Armenia, one of AGBU's major projects in the Republic of Armenia, has announced an Endowment Fund Drive to provide a solid financial base for the years ahead.

Next time you buy an expensive designer handbag made in Italy, think of the possibility that it might not only be made by an Armenian- family owned business, but that some of the profits are helping meet the needs of the Armenian community of Milan. The man behind the business is Ardavast Serapian: industrialist, businessman with a Ph.D. in Economics and one of Italy's leading manufacturers of leather handbags under his own label and such big names in the international fashion industry as Givenchy, Dunhill, Bally and others.

Much has been said about how different and chal­lenging the educational system at AUA is. After five years of existence, it is apparent that AUA provides much more than just a new kind of education.