YEREVAN, Armenia – On September 29, 2015, the Armenian Community of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American University of Armenia (AUA) to provide scholarships for Chinese students to study at AUA. Henri Arslanian, President of the Armenian Community of China, and AUA President Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian met in Yerevan to sign the MoU and solidify the collaboration.
Beginning fall 2016, the Armenian Community of China will commit to covering the living costs, healthcare, and air travel of at least one Chinese student who pursues graduate studies in Armenia. AUA will then provide a Merit Scholarship to aid in the payment of the student’s international tuition fees. The joint effort puts AUA on the higher education map in China, promotes the university’s global outreach, and creates a precedent for international recruitment from Eastern Asia.
Henri Arslanian remarked, “We are very proud to offer such a scholarship to our Chinese friends as a token of appreciation for the generosity and openness of the Chinese nation towards Armenians over the past centuries. We believe in the power of education and hope that this scholarship will encourage talented Chinese students to come to Armenia to pursue graduate studies. The Armenian Community of China is based on the pillars of independence, transparency and governance and we are proud to partner with a like minded organization like the American University of Armenia with which we share similar values and vision”
AUA students come from all over the world, and on a daily basis get to enjoy the university’s many research centers and state-of-the-art facilities. In addition to offering 8 master’s degrees, AUA launched its undergraduate degree program in 2013, after which the number of applicants from outside of Armenia tripled from the 2012-2013 school year.
AUA Provost Dr. Randall Rhodes commented, “AUA is well positioned to attract students from China and other East Asian nations due to its location at the cultural and geo-political crossroads of the post Soviet Union States and Iran. International students can explore these regional issues, live in a very safe environment, and study at a United States accredited university.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Armenian Community in China can do so by visiting the community’s website at www.chinahay.com
