AUA and Scholae Mundi Armenia Sign a Memorandum of Understanding; New Scholae Mundi Scholarships Will Allow UWC Students To Study at AUA
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YEREVAN, Armenia – On December 4, the American University of Armenia (AUA) and the Scholae Mundi Armenia Charity Foundation signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to “collaborate and work together by facilitating educational and culture exchange towards the internationalization of higher education in Armenia.”
The MoU was signed between Veronika Zonabend, the co-founder of Scholae Mundi and chair of the Board of Governors of United World Colleges (UWC) Dilijan College, and Armen Der Kiureghian, the president of AUA. In signing the MoU, AUA and Scholae Mundi recognize “the importance of promoting AUA, its academic programs, and status as an US-accredited institution of higher education.” They also recognize “the importance of promoting Armenia internationally and UWC in Armenia.”
“We should remember that all our educational initiatives in Armenia are meant for turning the country into an educational cluster, bringing together people of various nationalities who seek new out-of-the-box ideas and strive to change the world,” Zonabend said in summary of one of Scholae Mundi’s visions for Armenia.
The MoU supports this vision and, in one of its terms, stipulates that the Charity Foundation would launch a scholarship program to support students of non-Armenian descent who studied at a college within the UWC network and who were admitted to AUA. Scholae Mundi will donate the difference in the cost of tuition fees at AUA for international students and citizens of Armenia for up to three international students for five years. The scholarship contenders will be selected by AUA standard procedures.
AUA, too, is deeply invested in Scholae Mundi’s efforts to diversify the educational scene in Armenia; it can only stand to benefit from such a development, in particular from the scholarship program, as the University is actively seeking to diversify its student body. “The American University of Armenia intends to increase the number of its international students. We believe a diverse student body enriches the educational experience of all students. We are grateful to Scholae Mundi Armenia in helping us achieve this goal by providing scholarships to UWC students. As a US-accredited university, AUA is a perfect destination for those students who are interested in gaining Western education in a culturally rich and safe country,” Der Kiureghian said.
According to the MoU, the joint programs and collaboration would ultimately enhance the prestige of both institutions, as well as enhance and support “educational projects and initiatives, including study abroad initiatives, scholarships, trainings, guest lectures, workshops, et al.”
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.
Scholae Mundi Foundation promotes education of students at UWC Dilijan College and other educational establishments mainly by providing funds for capital development and scholarships.