It is an honor to return to campus for the Fall 2023 as the sixth president of the American University of Armenia (AUA), nearly a decade after my first presidential appointment concluded in 2014.
I am pleased to observe the great strides the University has made throughout the last nine years, in particular the significant growth in our student numbers, programs, and endowment fund. In fact, the student body has increased fivefold since 2013, before our first undergraduate class entered the doors of AUA.
This expansion is the logical continuation of the tremendous growth AUA has seen since its founding in 1991. Initially housing three graduate degree programs with fewer than 100 students, today our University community includes over 2000 students enrolled in eight undergraduate and eleven graduate degree programs, as well as six certificate programs that enroll hundreds of additional students. With an increasing number of international students, we are delighted to provide a culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse learning experience. The University’s state-of-the-art facilities, highly qualified international faculty, rich English-language library, infrastructure that promotes collaborative research, and various academic programs encourage and facilitate critical thinking, discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship.
AUA is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and affiliated with the University of California, which means that our students benefit from receiving a U.S.-accredited degree while living and studying in Armenia. Many of our over 6000 alumni pursue international careers, including further studies at universities abroad, and over 70% return or stay and work in Armenia following their education. Membership in AUA’s growing alumni network is lifelong, enriching former students’ both private as well as professional life and demonstrating to aspiring University students the myriad doors opened by an AUA degree.
Primarily funded through donations to the AUA Corporation by individuals and private foundations, largely from the Armenian Diaspora, the University stands as the most significant contribution the Diaspora has made to its homeland. The Armenian General Benevolent Union, which has supported the University since its establishment, continues to provide support through an endowment specifically designated for the University. AUA is also grateful for the significant support provided by the American government through its USAID American Schools and Hospitals Abroad program.
As a university that is so deeply intertwined with and focused on giving back to our international community, I invite all visitors to the country to include AUA in their list of sights. Come and see the ambitious students who populate our campus with bright, innovative ideas and are paving the way for the advancement of not only our University, but the country and region as a whole.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bruce Boghosian
Sixth President of the American University of Armenia
