It is our pleasure to present to you this first issue of the American University of Armenia (AUA) e-Bulletin. AUA is an American-accredited affiliate of the University of California, located in Yerevan, that offers graduate education in Business, Engineering, Law, Public Health, Political Science, and English Programs. AUA endeavors to create "active citizens," well trained in their fields, with the skills required to improve the quality of life in Armenia and its region.

AUA is also a need-blind institution that is committed to accepting applicants based on their merit, and to providing them with whatever financial aid they need to attend. AUA's tuition is far less than the cost of the education it provides, and much of the difference is made up by generous donations from the Armenian Diaspora. In this sense, AUA is a gift from the Armenian Diaspora to the people of Armenia.

For these reasons, we feel that it is particularly important that Armenians of the Diaspora be kept aware of AUA's activities and accomplishments, as well as its plans for the coming years. That is why we are publishing this e-Bulletin. The links in this bulletin will take you to stories about AUA's faculty, students, staff and activities. In this first issue, for example, you can read about our Public Health Department's activities to make Armenians aware of the dangers of smoking, our Political Science Department's lectures on media law and democracy, our library's lecture on world economic development and wealth inequality, and our administration's visit to the Prime Minister and Minister of Education of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh to discuss how to bring more students from Karabakh to study at AUA.

We hope that you enjoy this newsletter, and we look forward to your comments and feedback. Please feel free to forward it to your friends and relatives so that they can also learn about AUA, and use our automated system to request subscriptions of their own. We hope that you will also visit AUA on your next trip to Armenia, and possibly even consider attending AUA to obtain a masters degree while you experience living in the Armenian homeland.

Sincerely,
Bruce Boghosian, President
Armen Der Kiureghian, Interim Provost

American University of Armenia signs a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia and Other Universities on July 16, 2011

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American University of Armenia and Armenian General Benevolent Union
Visit the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

American University of Armenia (AUA) President, Dr. Bruce Boghosian, and Interim Provost, Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, visited the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) from 11 to 13 July 2011, as part of a delegation arranged by the Armenian General Benevolent Union, led by Mr. Ashot Ghazarian.

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Breastfeeding Promotion and Regulation of Infant Food

On July 1, 2011, as part of the Public Health Seminar Series, the AUA College of Health Sciences, in collaboration with Confidence Health NGO and World Vision Armenia, organized a panel discussion on “Legislative regulation of breastfeeding promotion and marketing of infant food."

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Commencement 2011
AUA Graduation: 20 Years of Advancement

"Twenty Years of Advancement" was the slogan as the American University of Armenia (AUA) celebrated its 20th anniversary year, and held its 19th Graduation and Commencement Ceremonies during the last week of June.

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Young Artists Join the Fight Against Passive Smoking

On June 13-14, the Center for Health Services Research and Development, American University of Armenia (CHSR/AUA) organized two exhibitions to advocate for non-smokers’ rights in Armenia. These events were planned and implemented within a broader tobacco control advocacy project supported by the Open Society Foundations – Armenia. 

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An Examination of the First Armenian Lobby in America

On June 9, 2011, the American University of Armenia hosted a public lecture entitled “An Examination of the First Armenian Lobby in America, 1918-1927, and its Relevance for Today” by Gregory Aftandilian, Northeastern University, Boston. The event was opened by AUA President, Bruce Boghosian. Mr. Aftandilian is an independent consultant, writer, and lecturer, and is the faculty co-leader of Northeastern University's summer studies program in Armenia, held at AUA.

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AUA Law Hosts Armenian Open Legal Tumblog 1st Anniversary Forum

On June 4, 2011, the AUA Law Department co-hosted a legal forum to help introduce young lawyers and law students to the Armenian Open Legal Tumblog. For over a year now the Tumblog has served as an online forum for young legal professionals to engage in civic discourse on all legal issues related to Armenia. 

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Third Knowledge for Development Center Lecture Series: Inequality: Does It Matter?

The Knowledge for Development Center, a joint partnership between the AUA Papazian Library and World Bank in Armenia, held its third lecture series on June 2, 2011, at PAB Manoogian Hall. The presentation titled “Inequality: Does It Matter?” was given by World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus Countries, Dr. Asad Alam, who discussed the various dimensions of inequality as well as issues of measurement.

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U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Grant Completed by AUA College of Engineering

AUA's Engineering Research Center recently completed a research project for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The multi-year project required the design and prototyping of a laser probe system that allows for real-time detection of defects in solar cells made from silicon wafers.

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