UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block and Dr. Eric Esrailian Visit AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia ‒ On September 19, 2018, the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted distinguished guests from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ‒ Professor Gene D. Block, Chancellor of the University, and Professor Eric Esrailian of the David Geffen School of Medicine, who were in Armenia by invitation of the President of the Republic, Armen Sarkissian, to explore potential areas of collaboration between UCLA and higher educational institutions in Armenia.

The guests were greeted by AUA President Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, Provost Dr. Randall Rhodes, Vice President of Operations Ashot Ghazaryan, Vice President of Finance Gevorg Goyunyan, along with two members of the AUA Board of Trustees, Vasken Yacoubian, president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Armenia, and Dr. Yervant Zorian, Chief Architect and Fellow at Synopsys and President of Synopsys Armenia.

The UCLA delegation briefly heard about the history of AUA, then took a tour of the campus making stops at the AGBU Papazian Library, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) and its prototyping lab, as well as the newly completed Student Union, Faculty Center and Open Amphitheater. In a meeting in the AUA President’s office, the group discussed possible areas of collaboration, including student and faculty exchanges, development of degree programs in AUA in education and nursing, joint research and development projects in digital humanities, and establishment of an Institute for Interdisciplinary Armenian Studies.

Subsequently, college deans, program chairs, and directors of research centers joined the executive team in a meeting with the UCLA delegation. Also attending the meeting upon the invitation of the AUA President was Professor Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA, who happened to be in Yerevan. Short presentations were made on various degree programs and research center projects and ideas were exchanged to further advance existing relations and cultivate new connections.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Chancellor Block summed up his impressions of AUA. “It is a great honor to visit this magnificent University. Its inspirational origins along with its connections with the University of California, and with UCLA in particular, warms my heart. Good luck! We look forward to more engagement and collaboration.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

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[Asbarez] UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block and Dr. Eric Esrailian Visit the American University of Armenia