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The Armenian Reporter | November 8, 2008 17ArmeniaA new building sets the stage for the expansion ofthe American University of ArmeniaNew offerings,double enrollmentin the worksby Vincent LimaYEREVAN – The American Universityof Armenia on November1 opened a new, state-of-the-artbuilding, which will allow the universityto double its enrollmentand expand adult and professionaleducation programs and conferences.The Paramaz AvedisianBuilding, which was inauguratedon November 1, is a five-story, 108thousand sq ft edifice of honed andrustic tufa, basalt, and glass curtainwall, designed to accommodate thelatest in video, computer, and telecommunicationsequipment.An English-language graduateschool in the heart of Yerevan, theAmerican University of Armenia inits 17-year history has awarded 1,800master’s degrees in business andmanagement, engineering, publichealth, law, and political science, aswell as certificates in environmentalscience and conservation.The university plans to “expandits academic programs to coverareas not covered now and to attracta larger number of studentsfrom outside Yerevan,” MihranAgbabian, the university’s presidentemeritus, told the ArmenianReporter. The university strives tobecome “a regional educationalcenter in the Caucasus, providingnot just local service but service tothe region at large.”The new building includes largeclassrooms with central coolingand heating systems and wirelessInternet connections, a video conferencingroom that will give newopportunities for distance learningand international conferences, acafé, a bookstore, a gym, and exhibitionspace.The principal benefactor is theKhoren and Shooshanig Avedisianfamily of Pawtucket, R.I. Additional,multimillion dollar contributionsfrom the Manoogian SimoneFoundation and the TurpanjianFamily Foundation, and significantcontributions from a score of othermajor donors made the buildingpossible.University hadoutgrown its facilities“The concept that there is nothingmore powerful and exciting thanan idea whose time has come wasall that was needed to motivatethe Avedisian family,” said EdwardAvedisian on behalf of the familyand as chair of the AUA BuildingCommittee.Recalling that the university wasfounded on September 21, 1991, thesame day Armenians went to thepolls to vote overwhelmingly forindependence, he credited foundersMihran Agbabian, Armen DerKiureghian, Stepan Karamardian,and Louise Simone with great“courage, wisdom, and energy.”Mr. Avedisian said the wisdomof the founders “was tested by thechallenges of creating a universitybased on the principle of democracyin a society that for 70 yearswas firmly entrenched in Communism.Their courage was testedby the cruel hardships of winter:little water, severe cold, andno light. The cold was such thatProfessor Der Kiureghian told hisstudents once who were takingA view of the Paramaz Avedisian Building on opening day. Photo: AUA.an exam with their gloves on toplease put your pens down, standup, move your arms and legs. Thattogether with candles that occasionallyserved as light was morethan what these brave studentsand faculty should have borne.And yes, these founders and studentscontinued on undaunted,enabling AUA to graduate its firstclass, the class of 1993.“Together they have set standardsof excellence and achievement forall who have followed in their steps.The power and excitement of thatseminal idea whose time had comeresulted in a university that hadoutgrown its facilities and todaybrings us the Paramaz AvedisianBuilding, a world-class edifice,” Mr.Avedisian concluded.An extraordinarybuilding“This is an extraordinary building,”said AUA Corporation Board ofTrustees chairperson Rory Hume.As provost of the University of California,Dr. Hume said, “I have spenta fair amount of my time looking atthe University of California’s buildings.This is done as well as anybodycan do buildings.“To create a building of this qualityat this time, at this cost – at atime when building costs were escalatingrapidly – is an extraordinaryachievement,” Dr. Hume continued.“And I know that this building willgive new life and new energy andnew strength to the academic programsof this university.Just inside the entrance to thenew building is a statue of thebuilding’s namesake, Paramaz Avedisian(1931–1996), a humanitarianwho was graduated summa cumlaude from the Rhode Island Collegeof Pharmacy. Though he wonfour of six academic prizes awardedby the college, he believed hisgreatest achievement was tutoringa dead classmate for over four yearsand seeing him receive his diploma,the family reports. Haroutune K.Armenian, the president of AUA,called Paramaz Avedisian “the embodiment”of the universal valuesespoused by the university.A wonderfulpartnershipSpeaking to the Armenian Reporter,Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador,called the new building “aFrom left, AUA’s President Haroutune Armenian, AUA Corporation Board of Trustees chair Rory Hume, AUA’s PresidentEmeritus Mihran Agbabian, and benefactors Pamela Avedisian and Edward Avedisian in Yerevan on Nov. 1 cut the ribbon onthe AUA Paramaz Avedisian Building, while Catholicos Karekin II and Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian (partly obscured) lookon. Mr. Avedisian chairs the AUA Building Committee. Photo: Photolurewonderful example of partnershipbetween Armenia and the UnitedStates, with donors from the UnitedStates, a chief architect from theUnited States, but the contractorsand many of the other architectshere from Armenia.”Mr. Avedisian noted in his remarksthat the Building Committeehad decided “to have the higheststandards of earthquake resistance;to have cutting-edge designand engineering; to have energyconservation and sustainable design;and to both employ and workwith as many native Armeniansas possible.” He said the committeehad “met and or exceeded all ofthose objectives.”The building was designed byRonald A. Altoon, principalof Altoon + Porter Architects ofSouthern California, in partnershipwith local firms. Mr. Altoonnoted that the building provides“alternative solutions to the university’senergy needs.” Theseinclude simple concepts, such assetting the building orientationto minimize heat gain in the summerand maximize both heat gainand sunlight exposure in the winter.They also include “more sophisticatedinnovations,” such asa breathing stone wall that addsinsulation, and light shelves thatreflect low winter sunlight deepinto the south-facing rooms.Mr. Avedisian said the projectowed much to the constructionmanager, Faraj Yeretsian. Having“managed many building projects inthe Middle East, Canada, and theUnited States, he returned to Armeniaspecifically for this project,to give back to Armenia from hisvast knowledge and experience inconstruction management,” Mr.Avedisian said.The imperative oflifelong learningCatholicos Karekin II blessed thebuilding during the opening ceremony.He said Armenians care agreat deal about education and believe“it is better to be blind of eyethan blind of mind.”Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian,addressing a domestic audiencethat harbors nostalgia for theera when large factories employedthousands of workers, said that inthis century the principal driver ofeconomic growth is knowledge. Hecalled on society to see people oflearning as role models.Paramaz Avedisian. Photo: Photolure.Praising the American Universityof Armenia for disseminatingand generating up-to-date scholarship,the prime minister notedthat whatever students learn todaywould become old fast. “This meansthe mission of universities is notsimply to convey knowledge, butto give people the capacity to learn.The contemporary world is a worldof continuing education. There isno field in which there is no needfor ongoing learning.“We must develop the skills forlifelong learning,” Mr. Sarkisiansaid. “We are ready to participateand co-finance. We already havean agreement with the AmericanUniversity to cooperate in macroeconomics,because we havea great need for experts in thefield.”On behalf of the president ofArmenia, the prime minister bestowedthe Movses Khorenatsimedal upon Edward Avedisianand Jerry Turpanjian, founderof the Turpanjian Family Foundation,which is among the mainsupporters of the university andthe building.fconnect:aua.am