Read the previous chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Thirty-five years is not the finish line. It is the foundation.
The American University of Armenia (AUA) is entering its next chapter with the experience of 35 years behind it and new possibilities ahead. The future will bring new challenges, new ideas, and new opportunities, and the University will continue to evolve with them.
Today, AUA has more students than ever, a growing research portfolio, an expanding network of partnerships, and a reach that extends far beyond its campus. But the University’s growth is ultimately about more than just numbers. It is about how education, knowledge, and opportunity can shape communities.
For a landlocked country in a difficult neighborhood, Armenia’s greatest resource has always been its people. Every generation of AUA graduates offers another example of what becomes possible when that resource is invested in.
Investing in People
From the beginning, AUA was built through collaboration — among the University of California, the Armenian Government, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, and philanthropic partners. Their shared vision helped establish an institution designed to bring internationally recognized Western-style higher education to Armenia and contribute to the country’s long-term development.
Over the past 35 years, that vision has taken root and grown. AUA has expanded from its first class of 101 students into a university community of nearly 2,800 students and more than 8,000 alumni. AUA graduates have gone on to build careers across Armenia and around the world, contributing to business, technology, healthcare, government, research, education, and many other fields. Today, 76% of AUA alumni live in Armenia, and 79% are employed or pursuing advanced degrees.
The stories of AUA graduates reflect the diverse ways education can translate into national progress. AUA alumni have founded companies, including Armenia’s first unicorn startup, Picsart, and have advanced careers at global technology companies such as NVIDIA, ServiceTitan, and SADA Systems. Others are strengthening healthcare, shaping public policy, advancing research, leading organizations, and contributing to Armenia’s international engagement.
Their achievements are part of a larger story. AUA’s impact is not measured only by careers of individual graduates but also by the ways those graduates contribute to the communities and institutions around them. Each generation carries its education into new places, professions, and fields, reflecting the University’s long-term impact.
Building Knowledge and Innovation
AUA’s role in Armenia has also grown beyond educating students. Over the years, AUA has become increasingly engaged in research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and public service, creating opportunities for students and faculty to turn knowledge into ideas and ideas into solutions.
Today, AUA’s academic mission remains closely connected to Armenia’s evolving needs. The Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering advances research in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, sustainable materials, flood forecasting, medical imaging, and digital heritage. The Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences contributes to strengthening Armenia’s healthcare system through education, research, and partnerships with national and international organizations. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences supports scholarship and public engagement on issues shaping Armenian society, while the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics advances entrepreneurship, business innovation, economics, and public policy.
AUA’s research intersects with Armenia’s national priorities, from environmental sustainability and climate resilience to healthcare, technology, and economic development. Through the Acopian Center for the Environment, the University has become a key academic partner in Armenia’s preparations to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in October 2026. Through its Akian College of Science and Engineering, the University will host the Joint International Meeting of the American Mathematical Society in 2028.
Collaboration across disciplines creates new possibilities for research, innovation, and public engagement. And this growing capacity is part of AUA’s evolution as an institution. The University is not only preparing students for the world as it exists today, but, most importantly, for fields and challenges that are still taking shape.
Preparing for What Comes Next
The years ahead will bring further change. AUA’s Strategic Plan 2024-2034 provides a roadmap for this next stage, with priorities that include expanding academic programs, strengthening research capacity, deepening international partnerships, and preparing graduates for emerging fields that will influence Armenia’s next decades.
New academic programs will open pathways into areas of growing importance. New facilities will create space for teaching, research, collaboration, and community engagement. Stronger partnerships, both local and international, will connect AUA students and scholars with fresh ideas and expertise, while research will continue to address challenges that matter both to Armenia and the world.
But the future is not defined only by new programs, buildings, or research projects. It is defined by the people who will bring them to life: the students who will pursue new opportunities, the faculty who will advance knowledge, the alumni who will carry their experience into new fields and communities, and the partners and supporters who will continue to believe in what education can make possible.
Thirty-five years have given AUA a strong foundation, still, the University’s greatest strength remains its capacity to keep building on it.
AUA’s first 35 years were shaped by the needs of the newly-independent Republic of Armenia. The next 35 years will bring new challenges and opportunities not yet fully imagined. What remains constant is the belief that education, knowledge, and the people who turn ideas into action can help shape a stronger and brighter future.
AUA’s journey continues. And the next chapter is already taking shape.
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 (WSCUC) 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.
