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| American University of Armenia | |
|---|---|
| Name | American University of Armenia |
| Native name | Ամերիկյան համալսարան՝ Հայաստան |
| Established | 1991 |
| Type | Private |
| City | Yerevan |
| Country | Armenia |
| Campus | Urban |
| Affiliation | University of California, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Open Society Foundations |
American University of Armenia is a private higher education institution located in Yerevan, Armenia, founded in 1991 with support from international partners and diaspora organizations. It operates in affiliation with the University of California system and maintains ties with institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University, and London School of Economics. The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs and serves as a hub for academic exchange among institutions like California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.
The institution was established in the aftermath of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union with backing from entities including the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the United States Agency for International Development, and private donors linked to families such as the Adams, Sassoon, and Aga Khan philanthropies. Early collaborations involved faculty exchanges with University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, Brown University, and University of Michigan. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the university expanded graduate offerings influenced by models from Yale University, Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University. Key milestones included accreditation efforts following standards advocated by organizations like the European University Association and program development alongside Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, and Tulane University.
The urban campus in central Yerevan features classrooms, libraries, and laboratories designed with input from consulting teams associated with MIT, Stanford University, and University College London. Facilities include a central library inspired by collections at Harvard University Library, computer labs modeled after systems at California Institute of Technology, and language centers reflecting practices at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and Brown University. The campus hosts lecture series and seminars attracting speakers from institutions such as Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, and Harvard Kennedy School.
Academic programs span master's and doctoral degrees influenced by curricula from University of California, Los Angeles, Georgetown University, London School of Economics, and New York University. Departments engage with subject matter from partnerships with World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, International Monetary Fund, and professional networks tied to American Bar Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The university awards degrees comparable to those from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Sciences Po, Hertie School, and SDA Bocconi School of Management.
Research centers address regional challenges in collaboration with international organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and United Nations agencies. The institution's centers parallel think tanks like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chatham House, Brookings Institution, and Atlantic Council by producing policy research on issues linked to neighboring entities including Georgia (country), Turkey, Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Research partnerships include projects with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank, Open Society Foundations, and academic consortia involving Oxford University, Cambridge University, and University of Chicago.
Admissions processes draw applicants from regions connected to diasporic networks such as communities in Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, Tehran, and Beirut. The university offers scholarships and financial aid supported by donors including the Armenian General Benevolent Union, diaspora foundations linked to families like the Karapetian and Kalantarian names, and international funders such as the Open Society Foundations and philanthropic arms related to Ford Foundation and Gates Foundation. Admissions criteria and scholarship programs have been benchmarked against practices at Columbia University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Yale University.
Student associations include cultural and professional clubs that interact with external groups like the Armenian Revolutionary Federation diaspora chapters, Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, and student unions modeled after those at New York University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and University of Toronto. Extracurricular programming features conferences and competitions in partnership with entities such as Model United Nations, IEEE Student Branches, Association of MBAs student events, and regional academic Olympiads involving participants from Georgia (country), Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia.
The university's governance structure involves a board of trustees with representatives connected to organizations such as the Armenian General Benevolent Union, United Nations Development Programme, and international higher education partners including University of California campuses and advisory ties to Council for Higher Education Accreditation-style entities. Accreditation and quality assurance efforts are informed by standards from the European Higher Education Area, ABET for technical programs, and business accreditation bodies such as AACSB and EQUIS through benchmarking and collaborative reviews with universities like INSEAD, IE Business School, and HEC Paris.
Category:Universities and colleges in Armenia