YEREVAN, Armenia ‒ On November 20, 2018, the Zoryan Institute and the American University of Armenia (AUA) signed an affiliation agreement. The two parties intend to collaborate on strategic academic and scholarly projects dealing with contemporary issues of importance to Armenia and Armenians. The activities carried out within the scope of the agreement will include conducting research, organizing symposiums and conferences, and developing courses, minors and tracks related to the topics mentioned above. The Zoryan Institute will congruently establish an office in Armenia as a branch of its North American organization.

President of the Zoryan Institute Greg Sarkissian stated: “The new affiliation with AUA and Zoryan branch office will broaden the scope of our work and our impact through academic projects. This affiliation will also serve as a model of successful partnership which could lay the groundwork for affiliations with other institutions and universities across the world.”

“We are pleased to sign this agreement with the Zoryan Institute, which has a long history of high-quality scholarly work. The collaboration will further broaden our teaching, research and public service programs on contemporary issues of importance to Armenia and Armenians,” stated AUA President Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian.

The agreement will allow AUA students to have unrestricted access to the Zoryan Institute’s research and scholarly work archives. Furthermore, select AUA students will have the opportunity to take part in the annual Genocide and Human Rights University Program in Toronto, Canada, organized by the Zoryan Institute.

“The alliance of the Zoryan Institute and the American University of Armenia is a marriage made in heaven. There are common goals of seeking truth, of preparing students for a lifetime of contributions to the Armenian Studies, and helping all to see that Armenian history is part of global history and has many lessons to teach and many lessons to be learned. All win from this partnership: AUA, the University of California, which is directly involved with AUA, Zoryan, which has been a leader over 36 years of human rights education, and Armenian Studies, which will be strengthened greatly through the association that has been forged. The Zoryan‒AUA partnership will be open, will follow the highest academic standards, and will serve truth, and through truth, justice. Education and scholarship can’t do everything, especially in a post-factual world, but it is still our best hope,” remarked Dr. Roger Smith, Chairman of the Academic Board of the Zoryan Institute.

The Zoryan Institute will continue to retain the same board members to direct and supervise activities of the institute in all offices. The institute may elect to add one Armenia-based board member. Naturally, Zoryan will continue with the work in Canada and the United States that we have carried out over the past 36 years. In this ever-changing world, Zoryan has recognized the need to expand our horizons, and thus we are pleased to share this momentous development. The staff, board members, faculty and partners of the Zoryan Institute look forward to broadening the Institute’s scope, and collaborating on further projects with the American University of Armenia.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.