Day: December 5, 2023

The American University of Armenia (AUA), in partnership with Washington State University (WSU), today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a Center for Excellence in Journalism and create a new master’s program in journalism education. The $1.3 million, four-year university partnership initiative is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan to support Armenia’s media sector.

Through the U.S. Embassy’s support, 90% tuition scholarship will be provided to approximately nine graduate students per year to study in the Master’s in Journalism degree program, with a select number of students also having the opportunity to compete for a summer internship in the United States, where they will acquire hands-on reporting skills in a U.S. media outlet.

“We are proud and grateful to be the recipient of this important grant from the U.S. Embassy,” said AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian. “Since the University’s inception, the U.S. government and USAID/ASHA have supported the American University of Armenia in various ways, and this marks another milestone in our long-standing relationship. We look forward to working alongside our colleagues at WSU to implement this project and eventually launch a Master’s in Journalism degree program. We are convinced that this new program will be of great benefit to Armenia and the region at large.” 

The Center for Excellence in Journalism will serve as a hub for journalism education and leadership in research, training, best practices, and collaboration with leading experts and policy makers that advances knowledge of how quality journalism can serve as a bulwark against misinformation and improve networking within Armenia’s journalism ecosystem. The Center will also offer professional development programs serving the wider media community.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Rafik Mansour traveled to Armenia to inaugurate the new university partnership. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien, as well as Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, also attended the launch event.

“This U.S.-Armenia relationship is based on shared values, including press freedom and the critical role of education in building a strong, democratic society that is resilient to disinformation,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Mansour at the inauguration event. “The United States is proud to invest in this university partnership initiative, which will support Armenia’s democratic development, and invest in the next generation of journalists.” 

“This project aims to support current and future journalists with the knowledge and skills to have a positive impact on the journalism sector in Armenia and beyond,” says Dr. Yacoubian, dean of the AUA College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). “The project will contribute to further diversifying the academic portfolio of CHSS and thus providing new possibilities for us as we prepare students to become civic and professional leaders.

“We are delighted to formally establish this flagship partnership in journalism education between AUA and WSU,” said Dr. Lawrence Pintak, professor of communication at Washington State University. “This program represents a new milestone in the development of Armenia’s media sector and will support the professional development of Armenia’s journalism community for years to come.”

In addition to this program, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan also announced an award to AUA to implement a two-year English program for journalists aimed at equipping the participants with English-language skills through courses tailored to their professional needs.

Armenia is ready to initiate practical steps for the implementation of the Crossroads of Peace project, Chief of Prime Minister’s Staff Arayik Harutyunyan said at the conference entitled “New Regional Realities and the Crossroads of Peace.”

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mnatsakan Safaryan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia Mehdi Sobhani, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to the Republic of Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha, experts from Armenia, Georgia, Iran, India and Turkey also participated in the conference.

“Nowadays, the principles and rules of international relations known to all of us are being undermined, and trust and optimism in cooperative security continue to decline. However, Armenia believes in the desire and ability of the peoples of our great region to achieve lasting peace, to resolve all wounds and conflicts by peaceful means,” Harutyunyan said.

“In the modern era of interconnectedness and interdependence, solving the challenges facing humanity requires joint and unified efforts, and Armenia is also ready to contribute to the process of overcoming the existing challenges and establishing lasting peace in our region. Historically, Armenia has always been at the crossroads connecting the north to the south and the west to the east, with political, economic, and cultural characteristics arising from it. Even today, based on its geographical location, Armenia is ready to serve as a connecting node for such interaction,” he added.

Arayik Harutyunyan noted that “as a landlocked country, blockaded by two of its neighbors for nearly 30 years, Armenia acknowledges the importance of fully functioning regional transport hubs.”

“In the negotiations on the unblocking of transport infrastructure in the South Caucasus, we are guided by the principles of comprehensive, inclusive and non-discriminatory use of regional routes, full respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries, and the vision of building a prosperous future for all parties in the region,” he stated.

“It is with this realization that the Government of Armenia developed and presents the concept of “Crossroads of Peace” as an important component of the peace agenda adopted by us. The core meaning of that concept is the development of regional communications by building new roads, railways, pipelines, power lines, repairing and operating old ones,” the Chief of PM’s staff noted.

“The aim of the project is to restore the important role of the region in the context of North-South and East-West global interaction. There is no doubt that the new opportunities for the movement of goods and people will in turn provide additional guarantees of security and stability, as well as serious prerequisites for economic growth for all countries in the region,” he said.

“Armenia is ready to initiate practical steps to bring the “Crossroads of Peace” to life. I would also like to note that the Armenian government expects the active support of all international partners in the implementation of this important regional initiative,” Harutyunyan noted.

He then briefed the participants of the conference on the “Crossroads of Peace” project of the Government of Armenia.