PSIA Student Ani Matevosyan (E&C ‘18) Wins First Place in Nationwide Essay Competition

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YEREVAN, Armenia ‒ The American University of Armenia (AUA) is proud to announce that on November 19, Ani Matevosyan (E&C ‘18), currently a graduate student in AUA’s Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) Program, won ‘first place’ in the nationwide non-academic essay competition “Your Vision of EUrope” for her essay titled “The Unexplored Corner of Europe.” The winner awards were presented by European Union (EU) Ambassador to Armenia Piotr Świtalski.

The EU Delegation to Armenia had organized the essay competition within the scope of the “Euroclubs in Armenian Marzes” project. The competition aimed at empowering young Armenians to speak out about their vision of EU-Armenia relations after signing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The ultimate objective is to promote the active participation of young people in volunteer work, NGOs or civil society organizations. The essays were reviewed by the Evaluation Committee, as well as by the EU Delegation to Armenia.

In her essay, Matevosyan envisioned Armenia as an EU member state in the eyes of a common European citizen, Adalene Bernard. Starting with the position of Armenia as a part of EU, Matevosyan laid out how CEPA could benefit Armenia, while explaining that the cooperation between Armenia and EU could be mutually beneficial.

As the competition was within the scope of the “Euroclubs in Armenian Marzes” project,  Matevosyan also touched upon the prevalent problems in the marzes. Matevosyan noted that urbanization is a huge threat to marzes which “stay out of attention and deprived of any means of advancement” with all the big companies and international organizations being based in the capital city.

Concluding her essay, Matevosyan wrote: “Adalene left Armenia with the great hope that the ties between Armenia and Europe will tighten gradually, with the hope that the people of Europe, including Armenians, will advance and move forward while cherishing their traditions and learning from their history.”

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.