Former Armenian Ambassador Rouben Shougarian Holds a Video Talk With Students in AUA’s PSIA Program

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YEREVAN, Armenia – The American University of Armenia (AUA) Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) program hosted a video lecture on December 11 featuring Rouben Shougarian, former Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Shougarian is the author of West of Eden, East of the Chessboard which was published in 2010 and The Politics of Immaculate Misconception, published in 2013. He is currently a visiting scholar/lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Ambassador Shougarian spoke at length about the concepts and development of the foreign policies of the Republic of Armenia since independence, with special attention to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armenian-Turkish relations, the Iran nuclear deal and Armenia, as well as relations with Russia and the Eurasian Union, the European Union, and the United States.

The guest speaker elaborated in-depth about the role and place of Armenia in the region and beyond, its development of foreign policy concepts since independence, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations with regional and global actors.

A lively Q&A session followed the lecture. Ambassador Shougarian’s video lecture was organized by AUA Adjunct Lecturer Dr. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan as part of his course, PSIA 320: International Relations. The PSIA program hosted three other ambassadors in Fall 2015, as part of its Ambassadorial Lectures Series.

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.