AUA President and Vice President Travel to Nagorno-Karabakh on Occasion of The Day of the Republic of Artsakh

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American University of Armenia (AUA) President Armen Der Kiureghian and Vice President Ashot Ghazaryan recently visited Nagorno-Karabakh in the scope of the 23^rd anniversary of The Day of the Republic of Artsakh.

On September 3, 2014, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan welcomed President Der Kiureghian and Vice President Ghazaryan and congratulated Der Kiureghian on his recent appointment as AUA President, expressing hope that he will continue to develop the institution and deepen its ties with Artsakh. He added that AUA’s presence in Artsakh serves a very important purpose and is in great demand.

During their visit, the President and Vice President of AUA also met with Prime Minister Arayik V. Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Nakorno-Karabakh National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan, and Minister of Education and Science Slavik Asryan. In addition, their time in Artsakh included a visit to the offices of the AUA Extension-AGBU NKR Program and the AUA Turpanjian Rural Development Program (TRDP).

The AUA Extension-AGBU NKR Program in the Republic of Artsakh serves an important purpose in the state’s higher education system. The program has gained the respect of both the government and the National Assembly. Since April 2013, 1,062 participants have taken training courses through the program. The success of the program is assured by continuously assessing the needs of the labor market. Continuous discussions are held with the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Government of the Republic of Arstakh to identify urgent training, which are offered as short courses and seminars. This program would not have been possible without the generous support of the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

The AUA Turpanjian Rural Development Program, whose NKR branch was launched in 2007, provides education and economic opportunities to people in rural areas of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to encourage rural development, create jobs, and improve life in rural communities. With the support of TRDP, rural residents from ages 25 to 65 have established a variety of businesses, such as auto repair shops, bakeries, retail stores, sewing workshops and more. The program has made a positive impact not only on economic development but also on the outlook of rural residents. Since 2007, 115 new businesses have been established in NKR with AUA-TRDP’s support.

Thanks to AUA Turpanjian Rural Development Program and particularly the AUA Extension-AGBU NKR Program, there has been a noticeable increase in local applicants from Nagorno-Karabakh to AUA’s undergraduate and graduate programs.

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.