AUA Hosts First Annual Tournament of Minds

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On March 15, the Student Faculty-Collaboration Committee held the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) first annual Tournament of Minds in Manoogian Hall.  Teams of students and faculty representing AUA’s four colleges — the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics, the Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering, the Turpanjian College of Health Sciences, and General Education — competed on stage in a boisterously fun trivia competition, while the audience played along in groups of five.  

CHSS adjunct lecturer and Freshman Seminar instructor Vigen Vartevanian served as Master of Ceremonies. He developed the questions in such categories as popular acronyms, the year 2023, musical themes from movies, history, and more, and he managed the pace of the game with great humor. The General Education team took home the grand prize, which will be displayed in the department’s office until the next competition, while CHSS placed second. 

The event was the first in the Faculty Senate’s newly appointed Student-Faculty Collaboration Committee’s calendar of activities that are meant to promote, encourage, and strengthen student-faculty interactions and networking. The Tournament of Minds is set to be a yearly event, and the Committee looks forward to increased participation from students in the 2025 edition. The next event will be a Flower Gathering at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex just after Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.  Details about participating in the Flower Gathering are forthcoming. 

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.