The Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) program hosted a series of talks by Niels Jorgen Thogersen, Honorary Director General at the European Commission. The tour, organized by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Armenia, was comprised of three talks: 1) European Values: What is Really Important to Europe, 2) The History of the EU: the Single Market, Schengen, the Euro and the Enlargements, and 3) Europe and the World: Areas near Europe.    Thogersen, who also serves as Goodwill Ambassador for Copenhagen, discussed the historic and political importance of peace, democracy and human rights in the EU. He then discussed the added-value of the euro as a common currency and how enlargements have shaped the face of the EU.   The talks, which were open to students, staff, and faculty, included dynamic discussions among all the participants.

The Center for Research in Applied Linguistics sponsored a literary evening featuring Armenian American author Micheline Aharonian Marcom. Marcom, who teaches creative writing at Mills College, has published four novels, including a trilogy of books about the Armenian genocide and its aftermath in the twentieth century. Marcom read and discussed several passages from her Three Apples Fell from Heaven, a New York Times Notable Book and Runner-Up for the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction. The evening also included an Armenian-language reading of excerpts from the book translated by Shushan Avagyan, a lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Shushan Avagyan (L) and author Micheline Aharonian Marcom.

The AGBU Papazian Library at AUA reopened  on October 18 after a seven-month renovation and expansion project aimed to meet the growing needs of students, faculty, staff, and the public. The expanded library includes a 400 square meter addition and combines traditional reading rooms, group and individual study spaces, a teaching lab and expanded seating. The library also provides free wireless internet to patrons. Over 40,000 volumes of books and 63,000 online resources can be accessed through the library, which not only serves AUA but the community at large.

YEREVAN—Last month, even amid an uncertain global economy, Armenia posted an overall 8.3 percent increase in economic growth (January-August 2012) compared to the same period last year.  Against this backdrop of hope and promise, the American University of Armenia (AUA) announced the establishment of a new Master of Science (MS) degree in quantitative economics beginning in the summer of 2013.

“As Armenia endeavors to strengthen its position in the global economy, an internationally recognized graduate degree in Economics becomes critically important,” AUA President Bruce Boghosian said during the announcement.  “Armenia needs quantitative economists, well versed in the latest methods of economic modeling, agent-based computational economics, nonlinear optimization, game theory, and dynamical systems theory, among many other specialties.  This field is undergoing a revolution, as more and more of the assumptions underlying neoclassical economics are being called into question.  It is vital that Armenian economists be part of this revolution.”

By attracting economic experts from around the world, the program seeks to prepare business leaders and economic professionals not only from Armenia but also the surrounding region and indeed the world by training only the best and brightest candidates.

“This graduate program in economics has come at an ideal time in Armenia’s development,” noted Artur Javadyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia. “It will enable a new generation of Armenian economists to work bilaterally with international peers to understand the mechanisms driving the global economy while developing local potential. The MS in Economics program will contribute to building human and institutional capacity for conducting and disseminating global socio economic leading-edge research and policy analysis both for Central Bank and other public institutions.”

The new MS in Economics program at AUA has been approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six agencies approved for the accreditation of higher education by the U.S. Department of Education.  This endorsement indicates that the program maintains the highest standards of quality and effectiveness. The program has also received a license from the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Education and Science.

The 15-month program is a division of the AUA College of Business and Economics and is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2013.

The deadline for applications will be in early 2013. For updates and information visit www.AUA.am or send inquiries to [email protected].

The American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia.  Founded in 1991, AUA is affiliated with the University of California.  Through teaching, research, and public service, AUA serves Armenia and the region by supplying high-quality, graduate and undergraduate education, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting democratic values.

The American University of Armenia is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001.

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