September 16, 2024 – Nour Mussa, a Mathematics Teacher Assistant at UWC Dilijan and a 2018 graduate of the school, delivered a keynote address at the 10th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. The conference, held from 12-14 September 2024 at Seven Visions, The Dvin, Yerevan, Armenia, focused on the theme: “Avoiding Lost Generations: Preserving Education and Employment in All Circumstances.”
Nour’s inspiring journey to his current role at UWC Dilijan and his life in Armenia resonated deeply with the conference’s theme. His personal story served as a powerful and motivational message to the young parliamentarians in attendance, urging them to take action to ensure that no one is left behind.
In his keynote address, Nour emphasised the transformative opportunity provided to him by UWC Dilijan, Armenia, and the school’s founders, Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend. He expressed his belief in the power of education, quoting Ruben, who has been illegally imprisoned in Azerbaijan since 27 September 2023: “Let us be prepared to give more than we ever hope to receive in return.”
Nour Mussa’s journey to Armenia began in 2016, when he came to study at UWC Dilijan as a refugee from Sudan, via Lebanon. Born into a refugee family that had settled in Lebanon, Nour was unable to obtain Lebanese citizenship; his only identification documents were his birth certificate and his father’s refugee certificate. UNHCR helped Nour obtain a laissez-passer to enable Nour to travel to Armenia. Thus, Armenia became his safe haven.
Upon his admission to UWC Dilijan, Nour’s passion for learning and keen interest in the sciences stood out. His scholarship to UWC Dilijan was funded by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which provided scholarships for students from conflict zones between 2016 and 2018.
Admission to UWC Dilijan was a turning point in Nour’s life. “Here I learned how important it is to know others in order to know who you are,” he reflected. After graduating from the University of Rochester in the U.S., Nour returned to UWC Dilijan, where he now serves as a Mathematics Teacher Assistant.