AUA Brings in $2.7 Million at Boston-Area Fundraiser

Benefactors K. George and Dr. Carolann Najarian were present and received hearty thanks for their contributions.

He spoke about the AUA Media Lab, which recently received a donation from the USAID’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program. Altogether, ASHA has donated a total of $17 million over the years.

In addition, AUA has broken ground for a new sports center, Boghosian said.

The university, under Gharabegian, will look to increase cooperation and faculty and student exchanges with international universities, he noted. One of the successful programs already in place at AUA involves Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in Massachusetts. (Former WPI Provost Dr. Diran Apelian was at the event.)

Boghosian said it is how the school operates that makes it different from other universities in Armenia. “It is a truly American institution of higher education located in Yerevan. … Among other things, it means our faculty enjoys the privilege academic freedom, which is a unique concept in American higher education,” he said. “The style of teaching is similar to what you would see at any major American university.”

He said AUA offers need-blind financial aid. “We are committed to the principle that all deserving students who have the merit in their academic record to be accepted at AUA should have the opportunity to study at AUA.”

Pivoting to the university’s Armenian character, Boghosian said AUA is focused on “producing graduates who will contribute to the defense, economy and future of Armenia.” Ambitious plans are underway, he added.

Next year, AUA, in collaboration with Washington State University, will add a master’s degree in journalism. Other degrees in the works include a master’s degree in education and doctoral programs in aerospace engineering, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

He thanked diasporan donors who have made the programs possible, adding, “AUA has sometimes been described as the most important and significant gift that the Armenian diaspora has given the Republic of Armenia.”

As he thanked all the diaspora donors, he paid tribute to the evening’s honoree, Pamela Avedisian.

“AUA would not be close to the size and the success that it has achieved today without the generosity of the Avedisian family,” he said.

Pamela Avedisian, picking up her Visionary Philanthropist Award, spoke about the origins of her husband’s large donations to AUA. (His notable donations to Boston University School of Medicine and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research have made news over the past decade.)

“Education was paramount to living a fulfilling life. Edward recognized that the success he had achieved in life was in large part due to his parents, the great sacrifices they had made for their children and the loving and nurturing environment that was their home,” she said. Edward Avedisian, an AUA board member starting in 1999, died at age 85 in 2022. “Our family is pleased to support the students of AUA as they successfully navigate their paths toward a rich and rewarding life,” she said.“Ed and I both looked forward each year to attending commencement and the launch of a new class of graduates. It was truly the highlight of our year.”

“Our aim is for the Avedisian family legacy to continue to grow and support AUA as a leader in new and exciting interdisciplinary fields that will educate the students of today into the leaders of tomorrow,” she added.

Edward Avedisian was notable not only for his donations to a spectrum of organizations, but also for never naming them for himself, but his parents, siblings and friends. At AUA, the buildings are named for his parents and siblings. A $20-million donation from Pamela Avedisian in 2023 will lead to the creation of several new buildings, including the Edward and Pamela Avedisian Building for Humanities and Social Science.

Panel Discussion

A short panel discussion on technology took place during the reception, featuring Dr. Aram Adourian, senior scientific advisor at Flagship Pioneering, Dr. Areg Danagoulian, associate professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, and Dr. Naira Campbell-Kyureghyan, C. Judson King Endowed Visiting Professor at AUA at the Akian College of Science and Engineering.

Moderator Dr. Anna Ohanyan, professor of political science and Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Stonehill College, asked the panelists how AUA can help position Armenia within the technological waves sweeping the world and how it can help the survival of the Armenian nation.

Campbell-Kyureghyan is not only on the faculty of AUA now, but she is an alumna. It was there she met her future husband, the late Dr. Scott Campbell, who was a professor there.

Adourian, who serves on the board of advisors of the Akian College, said, “What excites me is the potential for innovation at the intersection of fields. What’s exciting about AUA is the opportunity of a mathematician interacting with a biology student, or interacting with an engineer and picking up something innovative and new. It’s these multidisciplinary interactions that throughout my career have attracted me and are what I do for a living.”

Danagoulian, a native of Armenia, left the country at age 16 when his father found a job in the US. “I have taught a variety of short programs at AUA over the past couple of years.” He added that he is the faculty co-director for the program that sends MIT students to Armenia, MISTI Armenia (MIT International Science and Technology Initiative). About 70 MIT students have visited Armenia in the past couple of years, and 12-15 of those students have taught at AUA. He called his interaction with young people in Armenia “amazing.”

In addition, the panel members suggested AI was the most important technological change facing the world.

Campbell-Kyureghyan said issues facing Armenia include energy and healthcare. “I’m very proud that the American University is the only university in Armenia that actually touches on all of those aspects of deficiencies.”

Adourian agreed that the intersection of healthcare and AI is fascinating. “A place like AUA is where you can do that in a meaningful and directed way where people aren’t just trying to figure things out by themselves but can actually undertake projects … overseen by faculty.” Other areas important for Armenia are the “application of big data or AI, application of these quantitative approaches to real world societal problems,” he said, “will become more and more important. Communities that can master these approaches are going to have a head start.” A strong base in math and science is needed, he added. “The more we can strengthen that foundation, the more talent we will have to actually apply some of those advanced computational approaches,” Adourian said.

Danagoulian said he agreed with Adourian’s comments, adding that it is not just new technology that a society has to embrace, but also train users. “One place where there is a big difference in people’s capabilities is user knowledge of technology and developer knowledge of technology,” he said. “If all you have is user knowledge, you are competing with seven billion people. … Where you develop a real competitive advantage is where you have developer, researcher level of understanding of the technology so you can create the technology. … or do things that other people can’t.”

Campbell-Kyureghyan noted, “Every institution of higher education must be connected to industry. We are manufacturing product: talent for industry. We are producing students that will be the future workforce. The better we do, the better it is for our students.” She paid tribute to the creativity and spirit of the undergraduate students there.

“Ninety percent of my class has some sort of idea for a startup. I have never seen anything like this and I have taught in many countries,” she added. “These students create and innovate, but they are also guided by faculty. What’s important is to cultivate that entrepreneurship. AUA is the only institution that has such a center for faculty and students,” referring to [EPIC or the Entrepreneurship and Product Development Center].

She added that 19 major start-ups in Armenia were spun out of AUA.

The program finished with a performance by the acapella trio Zulal, to the delight of the audience.