EURASIA Project Workshop on Financial Inclusion Held at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On July 15, 2021, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (CBE) organized a workshop on financial inclusion within the framework of the EURASIA project on the Development and Impact Assessment of Financial Inclusion Policies and Strategies. 

The workshop commenced with EURASIA project member, CBE Associate Professor Dr. Aleksandr Grigoryan’s presentation of a paper titled “Financial inclusion, over-indebtedness and multidimensional poverty: the case of Armenia during 2016-2018.” The paper is co-authored by Dr. Knar Khachatryan, CBE associate professor; Dr. Pundarik Mukhopadhaya, associate professor at the Department of Economics, Macquarie University, Australia; and Dr. Knarik Ayvazyan, lead expert at the Central Bank of Armenia. An insightful discussion followed the case presentation touching upon the study structure and results. 

During the second half of the workshop, Dr. Khachatryan, who is the EURASIA project principal investigator, presented the outline of a newly designed course in Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Development. Attending industry representatives, policy makers, and faculty members shared their perspectives and offered comments on the key learning objectives and expected outcomes. The course was designed within the scope of the cooperation agreement with the University of Agder, Norway, and is aligned with the AUA strategic plan, as well as with the broader Armenian government program for poverty alleviation and economic development. 

Representatives of the Central Bank of Armenia, the Ministry of Economy, Universal Credit Organizations, and scholars from other universities were in attendance. 

The EURASIA project is carried out in partnership between AUA and the University of Agder and is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.