Day: March 18, 2024

GLENDALE, Calif.—The American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Yes, Armenian Women Can! (YAWC) scholarship campaign.

In 2018, the AUA Office of Development launched an ambitious initiative to raise $2.5 million in endowed scholarship funds that would support hundreds of bright women studying at the Akian College of Science and Engineering at AUA. The campaign was developed in light of the urgent need for increasing Armenia’s self-reliance and sustainability through strengthening its growing technology sector, while recognizing the importance of bolstering the involvement of women at this juncture in history. 

With the support of the donor community, the program was able to make strides in empowering young women at AUA to achieve success within these fields. AUA benefactor Sandra Shahinian Leitner, trustee of the SJS Charitable Trust, was quick to lend her support when the campaign was launched. “‘Yes, Armenian Women Can’ is more relevant than ever in these times – this valuable program empowers women to innovate, blaze trails and achieve their potential,” Shahinian said.

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One of the beneficiaries of the SJS Charitable Trust endowed scholarship, Maria Miskaryan (BSDS ‘24), expresses her gratitude: “I have been working as an AI Engineer for over two years, and AUA gave me the fundamental knowledge to succeed in this role. I am deeply grateful to my scholarship donors, as my achievements wouldn’t have been possible without their generous support.”

Soon after the launch of the campaign, a significant increase in female enrollment was recorded within these degree programs, attesting to the University’s success in achieving the central goal of the campaign. As a result, AUA was able to broaden its impact to address the relevant skills gap for women to similarly achieve mastery in entrepreneurship, leadership, management, organizational and financial planning, and beyond. To date, hundreds of women have benefitted from the campaign, with many alumni going on to find success in their careers within the workforce of Armenia and beyond. 

“Equipped with an AUA education, our female students have utilized the academic resources and professional development opportunities made available at the University to graduate and take on positions within leading companies in Armenia,” commented Gaiane Khachatrian, Vice President of Development. 

Elizabeth Kaprielian (1915–2021)

The University would like to extend its gratitude to the generous donors who have supported this campaign through their impactful contributions, and especially the Elias and Elizabeth Kaprielian Trust for bequeathing a major gift that helped AUA bridge the gap and reach the campaign’s goal. 

The empowerment of the talented, ambitious and inspiring women at AUA will continue to echo ripples of positive change in Armenian society. Together with their male counterparts, these students are able to open doors of opportunity that would otherwise not have been available to them. Silva Yeghiazaryan (BSCS ‘25), recipient of the Elia Kahvedjian and Arakel Dirtadian scholarship, said, “I am grateful to my donors for providing me the opportunity to realize my goals. I intend to work hard and help make Armenia one of the leading countries in the field of tech.” Her classmate, Karine Movsesyan (BSCS ‘26), recipient of the Yes, Armenian Women Can! endowed scholarship, added, “I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to my scholarship donors for investing in my education. The campaign makes it possible for me to pursue a quality education in the field of tech, which only encourages me to work harder and reach my goals.”

Given the University’s current expansion plans, AUA will continue to accept contributions in support of female students who have indeed exemplified that yes, Armenian women can and will!

To learn more, visit: https://yawc.aua.am.

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Dr. Sharistan Melkonian, Dr. Bruce Boghosian and Ruben Topchyan announce the re-accreditation of the American University of Armenia

YEREVAN — In a letter dated March 6, 2024, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) reaffirmed the accreditation of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for a term of 10 years, the longest possible term. The decision is a reflection of the University’s ability to consistently uphold the highest international standards in higher education, joining the ranks of top-rated institutions like Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley and the University of Southern California, among others. AUA is currently the only university in the former Soviet Union boasting this accreditation.

WSCUC’s decision was made following the submission of AUA’s Self Study report, the process for which took almost two years, and a site visit and submission of a report by a panel of WSCUC experts, as well as a meeting with AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian, Chairman of the Board Larry Pitts, President Emeritus Dr. Armen Der Kirueghian and Dean of General Education Dr. Sharistan Melkonian, who also led the Accreditation Steering Committee, on February 15, 2024.

This 10-year re-accreditation represents a resounding validation of AUA’s commitment to continuous improvement: the fact that the University hires high-quality, internationally-educated faculty; conducts regular program reviews; and operates as a student-centered institution with high state-of-the-art campus facilities. AUA is grateful to USAID/ASHA for its continuous support of renovations and upgrades to the University’s facilities.

One of the top commendations the University received from WSCUC was its financial stability, largely facilitated by the longtime and generous backing of the Diaspora, which has supported the University both financially and academically since its inception. Along those lines, WSCUC positively remarked on the fact that AUA offers heavily subsidized tuition, with half of the student body receiving some sort of financial aid.

WSCUC also shared several recommendations, which the University is already working to address. These include formalizing and developing the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; adapting to enrollment growth by identifying necessary infrastructure; and strengthening consistency and transparency in faculty workload, among others.

“The AUA Boards of Trustees are extremely happy and proud to learn of the University’s 10-year reaccreditation by the U.S. accreditation organization, the Western Senior Colleges and Universities Commission,” said Chairman of the AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Larry Pitts. “Dean Dr. Sharistan Melkonian and her re-accreditation team did an outstanding job of preparing the applications and hosting the visiting WSCUC team, which awarded AUA their longest re-accreditation period, ranking AUA among some of the finest U.S. universities. Congratulations to everyone who helped AUA meet this remarkable milestone!”

On March 13, AUA hosted a press conference to announce the reaffirmation of its accreditation.

“The process of reaffirmation would not have been possible without the commitment and hard work of AUA’s students, staff and faculty, all of whom actively participated in working groups and campus-wide discussions,” said Dr. Boghosian. “I am sincerely grateful to all of you who contributed to the success of this process, and especially to Dr. Melkonian for her leadership of the Accreditation Steering Committee. Thanks to our community’s active participation in University life and commitment to AUA’s mission, we have been able to achieve this significant milestone in our institution’s history, together.”

For her part, Dr. Melkonian remarked on the extensive accreditation process and the significance of this achievement. “Earning U.S. accreditation is a sign to potential students and their families that an AUA degree is worth their time and effort, a sign to potential and existing faculty that AUA is an institution that is worth sharing their expertise and time. And, it is a sign to the market that AUA graduates are ready to take on the challenges of a changing local, regional and global environment.”

AUA is also accredited by Armenia’s National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA), which recognizes the high standards that WSCUC demands. ANQA Director Ruben Topchyan took to the microphone to express his appreciation for the pioneering influence of AUA on the general educational ecosystem in Armenia: “AUA is a symbol of the culture of continuous enhancement. AUA has a fantastic internal quality assurance system, which continuously improves services to students and the quality of their education.”

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