AUA Participates in ASHA 2023 Partners Meeting

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On March 13-15, the American University of Armenia (AUA) participated in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) annual Partners Meeting, held virtually. 

Following the welcoming addresses by USAID senior officials, the three-day conference featured a full agenda of networking sessions, panel discussions, videos of success stories, and Q&A sessions. The conference provided the appropriate forum for partners to build connections, interact with the ASHA team, discuss American best practices in various workshops, and also learn from conversations with one another.

Before the conference, ASHA had identified AUA as a partner to be featured for its public diplomacy activities, implementation, and reporting. 

At the meeting, AUA Assistant Vice President Anahit Ordyan and Chief Communications Officer Narek Ghazaryan gave a presentation on public diplomacy highlighting the University’s methodology for selecting American best practices, strategies for implementation and measurement, and lessons learned. The presenters elaborated on these elements particularly in reference to the AUA Media Lab project and its three overarching objectives: developing media literacy, generating course content in journalism, and creating a collaborative hub for seminars. 

The speakers explained how the initiative reflects American media culture and its underlying foundational principles of open-mindedness and objectivity, realized through the strategies of communication and outreach embedded in the project design and planned implementation activities. The AUA representatives also took active part in several additional breakout sessions and discussions during the three days of the conference.

AUA has over 30 years of extensive collaboration with ASHA in major reconstruction, renovation and furnishing projects funded by USAID-ASHA. Particularly, the comfortable and interactive classrooms, cutting-edge library, collaborative study areas, fully-equipped computer labs, administrative offices and related amenities realized through U.S. government funding have helped the University advance its vision to foster learning, research, and innovation.

Currently, the University has three ASHA-funded grants that are in the implementation stage: the Najarian Center for Social Entrepreneurship; the AUA Media Lab for promoting civil discourse in Armenia; and the Triangle Park: a sustainable, smart living lab. 

ASHA aids American schools, libraries, and medical centers abroad that serve as study and demonstration centers promoting American ideas and practices. ASHA grants help many of these institutions train future leaders in a wide variety of disciplines, support local and regional infrastructure to foster development and cultivate positive relationships and mutual understanding among citizens of the host country, the United States and other nations.

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.