“After two years of day and night study, we are eager to begin our careers”, said valedictorian Mayda Aghababian during the American University of Armenia's third graduation ceremonies in October. Ninety seniors, the largest graduating class since the inception of the University on Independence Day, September 21, 1991, received their Master's Degree diplomas in Business and Management, Political Science and Engineering. The 1995 graduates have good reason to be confident: past AUA graduates, fluent in English, Armenian, Russian and a number of other languages, computer trained and exposed to the latest in Western thinking, methodology and technology, have set high standards for performance during the first two years of their professional careers.
AUA graduates are now the most sought after young professionals as they enter the job market in Armenia. The one hundred and twenty graduates of 1993 and 1994 are to be found in every field, some of which include the Ministries of Economy, Agriculture and Fuel and Energy; the Iranian Bank Mellat, the Central Bank of Armenia and Veneto-CNA (an Italian financial organization); the Zvartnots airport, Armenian Chamber of Commerce, the Araratian Diocese and the Center for National and International Studies; the United Nations, UNESCO, the American Embassy, the United States Agency for International Development, Oxfam, Women's Aid International, World Bank, Peace Corps, Eurasia Foundation, Save the Children, Hill International and the Caucasus Energy News.
Energetic, eager and creative, they are also helping establish new industries, ventures and even campaigning for office in Armenia. Some of the stories are interesting: last year four graduates started the first twenty-four hour independent FM radio station offering news, music, segments of the Voice of America, and commentary on democracy, privatization, voter's rights and other national issues. As the only independent radio station in Armenia, the venture required financing, special antennas to reach a broad audience and the marketing of advertising to subsidize salaries and airtime; a New York dealer has hired an AUA graduate to supervise selected villagers who are weaving custom designed rugs for sale in the United States; another 1994 graduate originated the Armenian Real Estate Association with friends. They are buying and selling residences and training a sales force; another foreign merchant has contracted with individuals for the production of knitted fabrics for handbags and sweaters. An AUA graduate has been hired to manage this fledgling cottage industry; and last but not least, this year another graduate ran for parliament on the "New Generation Ticket", recruiting a number of students and alumni to work in his campaign (unfortunately, he didn't win!)
In 1995, out of 475 applicants, 180 were accepted after their first challenge of entrance exams, all of which were reviewed by the AUA office in Oakland, California. The second challenge was six months of intensive English and computer training courses. Although applicants take their entrance exams in English, AUA staff have found the ensuing years of study more productive if special English courses are offered to give students additional knowledge in the language, writing skills and, particularly, the technical terminology used in various subjects.
The six months also gives students a thorough grounding in what will be expected of them; daily attendance in class, examinations during the semester, extensive study at home and participation in class, almost all of which are different than the usual university requirements in Armenia. Class size is small, allowing each student frequent interaction with professors and students alike.
The atmosphere at AUA is a new experience, too. Relationships with American professors not only provide a Western education but also positively influences student behavior, thinking and output. Interviewing AUA students through the years, the one common response to the question "How has AUA affected you?" is always "I know I have changed. I realize now that I have choices in my life; that I am responsible for my career and my future. AUA has given me new vision and made me work harder than I ever thought was possible."
Extension Courses
Reaching out to the community, AUA has offered in the past four years a broad selection of seminars and two to six week courses for local students, professionals and government officials. Extension has included subjects such as Economics, Banking, Journalism, Public Ethics, Constitutional Law, Communications and Intensive English. In the 1995 Fall quarter Extension scheduled classes in Political and Cultural Anthropology, Child Education in Times of Crisis, Mass Media and Political Participation, Democracy in Political Reform, Substance Abuse, American Culture Through Film and Armenia: Coping with the Changing International Environment. Taught by AUA professors and guest lecturers, Extension attracts over 1000 participants a year.
Papazian Library
Endowed by generous donors, the Simon and Pinna Papazian Library is one of the greatest assets of AUA. It is the first library in Armenia to install a computerized library system which patrons can use themselves. It is also the first library in the country to offer open access to the shelves and materials.
With AUA's trained, welcoming staff and a good selection of books, textbooks, reference materials and periodicals, the Papazian Library is a wonderful place to read or study. AUA staff works closely with the U.S. Information Services which has funded the Armenian translation of several bestselling American business management books and provides current U.S. newspapers, magazines, publications and resource materials to the library. Special donor Antranig Antreassian of Las Vegas, Nevada donated his entire collection of personally selected art, music, poetry, fiction and history books in Armenian and English.
The Papazian Library houses more than 10,000 volumes and continues to expand each year, serving not only AUA students but a wide variety of other students, professionals and citizens in Armenia. The shipment of these books from the U.S. was in itself a major achievement. Without the airlifts of the United Armenian Fund, AUA's library and computer labs would have been almost impossible to establish.
AUA Research Centers
Students and graduates have a unique opportunity to get hands-on training at four research centers originated and directed by AUA. Agencies, businesses and ministries propose and contract for research projects which are then investigated and analyzed by a combination of AUA professors, staff and students.
The Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD) was established in 1992 to help the economic development of Armenia in its transition to a market economy. Studies have included the textile industry, air cargo terminal, tourism and hotel development and business incubator projects. More recent CBRD contracts researched housing options in the Earthquake zone, energy conservation through weatherization and a retail survey to identify startup problems.
The Engineering Research Center (ERC) conducts basic and applied research for the industrial and economic development of Armenia. AUA faculty, local scientists and engineers, with qualified students selected as research assistants, collaborate on projects that are internally generated or funded by special donors. Past studies have included analysis of earthquake response of high-risk structures, and comparative building codes in Armenia, Japan, U.S. and other countries. This year ERC has completed an earthquake shake table laboratory, provided grants to scientists from various local institutes and held an international conference in cooperation with INTAS, a European Community research organization.
Environmental Research and Management Center (ERMC) offers special courses in environmental awareness and environmental risk to industrial engineering students at AUA, along with coordinating research and seminars on radiation safety, soil contamination and landfills, and environmental policy. This year a data bank is underway on ecology, conservation and pollution. ERMC works closely with the Ministry of Ecology, and with the Institute of Zoology of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences on a special project "Birds of Armenia", giving special attention to endangered species. ERMC is funded by a generous grant from Mr. Sarkis Acopian, industrialist from Easton, Pennsylvania.
Center for Public Policy (CPP) was established in late 1995. Plans are underway for studies on the workings of the Armenian Parliament and Commercial Laws in Armenia. CPP is funded through a generous grant from the Eurasia Foundation.
Certificate Programs in Public Health and Teaching English as a Foreign Language
These two new programs were established in the Spring of 1995. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a postgraduate degree program designed for prospective or practicing teachers who will have responsibility for teaching, curriculum design, developing instructional materials or training teachers. The Public Health program was initiated to provide health professionals with background preparation for roles in the public sector. The curriculum employs a modular framework of self-contained units of three to ten weeks duration covering health management, communication, and epidemiology and information systems. During the October graduation ceremonies twenty-three certificates were awarded to those completing these two disciplines. The Public Health program is funded by a generous grant from the Lincy Foundation.
Cooperative Agreements with Other Institutions in Armenia
AUA has joined with the Ministry of Economy in Armenia and the U.S. Agency for International national Development to establish the Center for Economic Policy, Research and Analysis (CEPRA). The goal of CEPRA is to conduct social and economic analyses of issues pertinent to developing and maintaining a market-based economy in Armenia. The first four research projects undertaken are developing tourism, a 300 million dollar plan for a public investment program, a study on the underground economy and the economics of agriculture. CEPRA is being funded by U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.AID)
In 1995 CEPRA was also given the task of conducting a continuing education course provided by AUA for the Economic faculty of Yerevan State University, with special emphasis on how to teach modern market economics. All attending faculty were awarded special certificates for completing the course.
AUA was instrumental in providing computer equipment and software to the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan State University and to State Engineering University of Armenia through private donations, along with establishing Armenia's first local area computer network, with access to Internet.
With special grants from U.S. foundations, universities and individuals, AUA, through the Engineering Research Center, has awarded close to two hundred grants to members and professors at the Academy of Sciences, Yerevan State University, State Engineering University of Armenia and a number of other institutes on topics applied to Armenia's economic and technical needs.
The Boards of Directors of AGBU and AUA express their deep gratitude to all the foundations and individuals who have contributed scholarship assistance to students in Armenia, funded certificate programs and research centers and who have established substantial endowments for the Department of Political Science and the Library.
