AUA Celebrates 31st Commencement

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On June 10, the American University of Armenia (AUA) held its 31st commencement ceremony to bid farewell to the Class of 2023. Held in the AUA Large Auditorium, the ceremony was a triumphant salute to over 500 students receiving their degrees. Gracing the graduating class with their presence at the commencement were representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Armenia; USAID Armenia Mission Director John Allelo; Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha; Chair of AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Lawrence H. Pitts; and other members of the board. The celebration was also attended by family and friends of graduates, as well as AUA community members. The event was live streamed for parents and family members of graduates from Artsakh who were unable to attend the graduation ceremony due to Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of the principal access road between Artsakh and Armenia.

AUA Interim President Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian opened the ceremony with his congratulatory remarks, “Tomorrow begins a new chapter in your lives. Be that the start of a new career, or the beginning of more advanced studies, I am sure that you are well prepared to embark on your new journey.” He highlighted, “Your education at AUA has instilled in you democratic values, self-reliance, respect for the rule of law, and the opinions and rights of others, and the importance of volunteering and civic engagement. Uphold and apply these principles. Be an agent of positive change for your family, community, and country.” 

The Interim President’s address was followed by greetings from the University of California, delivered by Chair of AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Pitts: “On behalf of the AUA Board of Trustees, I congratulate you on reaching this important milestone. Your years at AUA have been filled with a lot of excitement and accomplishments but also remarkable challenges: the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Artsakh war, the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor, and global uncertainties. Still, you successfully navigated these difficult times with hard work and commitment to your goals with the University’s invaluable support.”

This year’s commencement keynote speakers were Lara Setrakian, president of Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI), and Dr. Ann Karagozian, member of the AUAC Board of Trustees, distinguished professor and Collins Aerospace chair at the UCLA Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and inaugural director of The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA.

In their commencement addresses, both speakers underscored the multitude of challenges the graduates faced through the course of their studies — the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Artsakh War, the continuing blockade, and other uncertainties related to Armenia and the world. “You found a way to triumph through it all. Now we are here to help you bounce forward as you make your way into the world; as you try to make the world better. That’s a big responsibility, I know. But we are in it together. And we are going to make it right,” affirmed Setrakian, adding, “Gather your talents and determination and get started. Our generation, yours and mine, will make things right, especially for Armenia. The opportunities to build the future are endless. And if your future journey takes you to different shores, know that good things and good people are waiting for you here when you’re ready to come back. We need you here, building, envisioning, creating and improving. But also, we want you to be part of the Armenia renaissance, so that you can enjoy it! To achieve excellence and to design the country you want to see, to set or raise standards to the best in the world in your own country. There’s no greater satisfaction than that.” 

In her turn, Dr. Karagozian offered the graduates her valuable advice. “Whether you are in literature or science, law or engineering, you have learned to scrutinize what you observe and to question the assumptions. The truth is not always as things first appear to be. Think about motivation, evidence, logic, and especially whether or not something even makes sense: that’s what you needed to do during your studies here at AUA, and those approaches are what you’ll absolutely need to employ in the future, more than ever, no matter where you work or serve. Artificial intelligence will not replace your capabilities in being a critical thinker! So what you learned at AUA, I hope, will stay with you long into the future, if not throughout your life,” she noted.

Keynote speeches were followed by valedictory addresses, in Armenian and English, delivered by undergraduates Hripsime Voskanyan (BSDS) and Samantha Isabella Abela Adalia (BAEC), and graduates Diana Karyan (LL.M.) and Lilit Hakimian (MATEFL), and an address by graduating student Armen Torossian (BAEC). In her address, Samantha recounted, “I settled in Armenia six years ago with my family; then I was the person with the 27th nationality to join AUA and the first and only Filipina undergraduate student here. I soon saw the University’s commitment to serve and educate the Armenians and the global community of next-generation leaders. My love for Armenia also made me want to serve the Armenian people, so my experience at AUA was guided by that goal. The skills I’ve gained and the support from my professors during the past four years have definitely prepared me to pursue that vision.” 

The ceremony featured the presentation of several awards. The 2023 AUA Presidential Commendation award, which is inscribed on special paper made from flowers laid at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, recognizes and honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to education, research, and outreach that have particularly impacted Armenia. This year, the award was bestowed on Dr. Lawrence Pitts who has tirelessly served as chair of the AUA Board of Trustees since 2012, assuming the role shortly after retiring from his position as provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of California.

The Vartkess M. Balian merit award that recognizes the best overall performance of a student went to Axel Haroutioun Cilingir (MPSIA). Teaching Excellence prizes were presented to Dr. Varduhi Yeghiazaryan and Dr. Hrachya Kocharyan, assistant professors in the Zaven and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering, and the Research Initiation awards went to Laura Prokic, lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Dr. Sevag Agop, assistant professor in the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics.

Carrying on the AUA tradition, the commencement ceremony culminated with the conferrals of certificates and degrees to the undergraduate and graduate classes of 2023 by the respective program chairs and college deans. This year, the University graduated the first graduates of the inaugural program in Master of Arts in Human Rights and Social Justice.

The commencement ceremony came to a close with the Class of 2023 graduates throwing their caps in the air, marking the end of one chapter in their lives and the beginning of a new one.

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. 

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[Asbarez] AUA Celebrates 31st Commencement