BAPG Students Celebrate End of Semester
2 min readYEREVAN, Armenia — As another semester draws to an end, the Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance (BAPG) Program proudly spotlights the remarkable accomplishments of its students.
The first highlight is a significant milestone achieved by Kyourk Arslanian (BAPG ’26), who recently had a short article published in the Armenian Weekly titled Letter to the Editor: Protecting My Identity, an interesting candid reflection.
Another student success is Ani Poghosyan’s (BAPG ’27) participation in an Erasmus-funded course focused on the career orientation of youth. As Ani notes, “At first, getting out of my comfort zone was tough, but then I met amazing people from all over the world, and everything fell into place. The most surprising thing? I found out that one of the participants was from AUA, and even more surprising, she was from BAPG! Overall, the course gave me remarkable experience engaging in career discussions, meeting new people, stepping out of comfort zones, and a reminder that the world is much smaller than we think!”
An interesting story emerges from the invitational participation of one of our students, Hrach Arzumanyan (BAPG ’26), at the YOU:KO youth congress in Cologne, organized by the Federal Agency for Civic Education and the Franco-German Youth Office. As a Re-build Ukraine Ambassador for the European Youth Parliament, Hrach is actively contributing to international dialogue in real-world situations. His professional journey continues with another engagement as a trainer in Benevento, Italy. According to him, “This experience presented a unique opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge gained in my studies to real-world scenarios. It was an occasion for hands-on learning, enabling me to refine my leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills.” Furthermore, Hrach presented the Rebuilding Ukraine Policy Presentation in Berlin and was a mentor in the “Governor” hackathon organized by the AUA Center for Leadership & Governance.
In a collective triumph, five exceptional students, Davit Melikyan (BAPG ’25), Irina Baldatyan (BAPG ’25), Hovhannes Gojabashyan (BAPG ’26), Ashot Aghayan (BAPG ’26) and Emma Martirosyan (BAPG ’26), have advanced to the second phase of the scholarly research and paper competition organized by the Students’ Council of International Relations under the auspices of Ex Oriente Union of Armenian Orientalists. This achievement showcases BAPG’s commitment to research as all BAPG applicants, without exception, have passed the first stage and are currently continuing their research activities. The “View from Armenia” competition delves into topics related to Iran, Turkey, and the conflict in Artsakh.
Another notable highlight comes from Daniel Stepanyan’s (BAPG ’27) journey in innovation, marked by a victory at the AUA EPIC Jam and the subsequent $500 award to assist in launching his startup initiativeinvestED.
As we close this chapter, a meaningful story emerges from another successful student, Suzan Sabonjian (BAPG ’26), who had the opportunity to serve as a lecturer at Karagheuzian, a social and medical NGO in Beirut, Lebanon. This dedication to community service reinforces the compassion and social responsibility values instilled in students within the BAPG program.
BAPG congratulates all our students for a semester filled with remarkable achievements and impactful contributions and wishes all Happy Holidays!
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 and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
