Author: Hovhannisian John

LOS ANGELES—Over 300 guests gathered at the California Club in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to pay tribute to AUA President Emeritus Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, who served as the fourth president of AUA from July 2014 to June 2019. The $350,000 raised at the event will go toward establishing the Armen & Nelly Der Kiureghian Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships to young veterans returning to AUA to continue their education. The scholarships available through this new fund will add another favorable dimension to the safe environment AUA provides for young veterans to smoothly transition back to student life and continue their studies, build a career, and grow to become responsible citizens of Armenia.

Co-chairs Lori Muncherian and Arsine Phillips welcomed the guests and, following the invocation by Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and Western Prelate Moushegh Mardirossian, Dr. Mary Papazian, President of San Jose State University, gave the opening remarks. Papazian applauded Dr. Der Kiureghian for his tireless efforts in many facets of university administration, making special reference to the memorandum of understanding signed between SJSU and AUA, by which SJSU hosted several AUA students this past summer along with a staff member from student affairs.

The next speaker was Sinan Sinanian, a member of the AGBU Council of Trustees and AUA Board of Trustees. For AGBU — as a founding supporter of the University — he considers AUA to be the most successful investment in Armenia.

A video presentation followed, highlighting the many accomplishments of AUA during Dr. Der Kiureghian’s tenure, including the launch and completion of the 100 Pillars campaign, the creation of the Entrepreneurship & Product Innovation Center, the start of three new degree programs, as well as the establishment of the offices of Student Affairs and Counseling. The video is available below.

A highlight of the evening, Arman Vardanyan, a veteran who is now a senior at AUA majoring in English and Communications, reflected on journey: “Every time I passed by the AUA buildings as a young teenager, I dreamt of becoming a student there one day. Well, dreams come true for those who dream but also take action. I did get admitted to AUA and I am now chasing my dream.”

When he was still a freshman at AUA, Vardanyan received the call of duty and had to put his studies on hold to serve in the military for two years. He was a soldier during the April 2016 Four-Day-War in Artsakh and served his country with dignity and honor. Upon return to AUA, he was grateful for the warm welcome and a full scholarship, which made his transition back to civilian life so much smoother. “That is when I felt the sense of belonging to a community that believes in me and has my back. I set my mind to study hard to become a better citizen of Armenia and also a citizen of the world. AUA has made this possible. I am surrounded and continually inspired by excellent administrators, outstanding faculty and staff at AUA, all of which I attribute to the tremendous leadership of Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian. On behalf of all my fellow students, and particularly in the name of the growing number of returning veterans, I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Der Kiureghian for always staying focused on students.”

Der Kiureghian’s daughter, Naira, and son, Sebouh, added a personal touch to the evening when they talked about their father’s dedication to AUA. “A defining characteristic of my father has been his readiness to roll up his sleeves and make sacrifices when his homeland needed him,” noted Sebouh. “At the graduation party, I was amazed at how students were competing with each other for an opportunity to take selfies with him. Throughout my years in both undergraduate and graduate schools, I’ve never seen students so excited about their university president,” added Naira.

A surprise guest appearance was made by Armenian jazz pianist Vahagn Hayrapetyan, who entertained the attendees with beautiful musical renditions. Next at the podium was Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Pitts, chairman of the Board of Trustees of AUA. Pitts said that the Velvet Revolution had shifted the country toward a new path and that, “AUA has become the premier university in the region under Dr. Der Kiureghian’s leadership.” Among the many accomplishments of the University during Dr. Der Kiureghian’s tenure, Pitts acknowledged the continued support of those gathered and many other donors that have grown the “AUA endowment from $19.8 million to $61.6 million.”

Dr. Pitts then invited Dr. Der Kiureghian and his wife Nelly on stage, where he presented them with a beautiful sculpture by Michael Aram and a book of testimonies by many AUA faculty, staff, and students.

Noticeably overwhelmed, Dr. Der Kureghian thanked members of the organizing committee and the AUA Development team for putting together such a lovely evening. “It’s hard to put into words what I am feeling tonight,” he said. “I want to thank the Board of Trustees and all my colleagues at AUA for the amazing five years. We accomplished so much. But, I must say, that my greatest joy came from the interaction I had with the students and alumni.” He proceeded to give a brief history of when he and Dr. Mihran Agbabian visited Armenia after the 1988 earthquake and met with Yuri Sargsyan, Rector of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, who said the best thing the diaspora could do for Armenia was to establish an American-style university in Armenia.

“With the help of many people, including Louise Manoogian Simone and later Stepan Karamardian, we requested assistance from UC’s President David Gardner. The affiliation with UC provided vital academic and administrative guidance including management of our endowment. I am proud to be a co-founder of AUA as well as its fourth president,” he said. “AUA is now internationally known and has students from 25 countries.”

Dr. Karin Markides, the new president of AUA concluded the evening by saying that she was honored to take on the role, and thanked everyone for attending the banquet and supporting AUA, especially the Veteran’s Campaign. “I am deeply honored to take on this torch, to lead the university to have the greatest impact in Armenia we possibly can. I want to thank Armen for doing everything possible to make this a smooth transition, so valuable for me but even more valuable for the students.”

Contributions to “Honoring Those Who Served: Investing in our Veterans Education” endowed scholarship fund can be made through the website or by email.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values. For more information about AUA and its donor opportunities, please visit the website.

BURBANK—The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, supported by the Little Tokyo Service Center, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, will co-sponsor a special presentation on the legacy of Diana Apcar by Dr. Meline Mesropyan of Tohoku University, Japan. Apcar, who lived in Japan from 1891 to 1937, is known for her major impact on Japan-Armenia relations, and for assisting Armenian refugees.

The presentation will take place on Tuesday, September 17 at 7 p.m., at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, 3325 N. Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91504. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Mesropyan’s presentation will focus on Diana Agabeg Apcar’s (1859 – 1937) humanitarian work. Between 1915 and the late 1920s, about 1,500 — out of several hundreds of thousands — Armenian refugees managed to reach Japan where they found Apcar’s enormous support. Through her crucial assistance, they were able to immigrate to the U.S., as well as other destinations. The presentation will focus on how Apcar was able overcome various obstacles she faced in carrying out her humanitarian work.

Dr. Mesropyan will be joined by the great-granddaughter of Diana Apcar, Mimi Malayan. In 2018, Malayan released a documentary on the life of Diana Apcar entitled, “Stateless Diplomat,” which has won several awards including the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award (Arpa International Film Festival, 2019), Best Biographical Film (New Hope Film Festival, July 2019), and Audience Choice for Best Documentary (Pomegranate Film Festival, November 2018).

Dr. Meline Mesropyan was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia and initially earned her bachelor’s degree in Japanese linguistics. She graduated from the Graduate School of International Culture at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan in March 2019. She has spent the last six years as a Master’s and Ph.D. student researching the life and work of Diana Apcar. Her Ph.D. dissertation, written in Japanese and making extensive use of Japanese archival data, deals with the Japanese government’s processing of Armenian refugees during World War I and Diana Apcar’s role. She lives in Sendai and is currently in the process of developing her Ph.D. dissertation into a book on the life of Diana Apcar.

BY GREGORY MIKHANJIAN
ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship 2019
Cal State University, Fullerton, Class of 2021

It didn’t really dawn on me that I was going to be on my own for the first time until I was flying over Oklahoma. I had left my home in sunny California and was on my way to the nations’ capital, only having a slight grasp on the type of work I was going to be involved in.

In the first week, we hit the ground running. Rather than a formal orientation into what our summer was going to look like, we were put right to work to ensure that two pro-Armenia amendments passed in Congress. Visiting every congressional office and speaking with staff about why they should support the amendments initially felt like an overwhelming task, but with each visit my confidence flourished.

One of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of the internship has been the crazy schedule. For the first amendment that we passed, I loved how we waited in the office watching the vote, waiting to see if we were going to harvest the fruits of our labor. What I loved even more than that was, after a brief celebration, our thoughts immediately turned to “what’s next.” We are always looking to achieve the next goal. It’s a “vazni vaz” job and I couldn’t be happier.

To put this experience into a single word, I would say that it was my dream. A dream that was defined by two exclusive criteria: being active in Washington, D.C. and incorporating myself into the work of Hai Tahd. Political work has always intrigued me, and while I have been active in my own state, I had always dreamed of working in D.C. As for my involvement with Hai Tahd, I have had the good fortune of being in the AYF for almost ten years. It was in that membership where I first learned about Artsakh, and I was ecstatic to be a part of the two pro-Artsakh amendments that also passed recently.

Perhaps some of the more profound moments for me have been in personally meeting with senators and Members of Congress. Seeing Senator Feinstein being receptive to our issues and casually exchanging jokes with her afterward was particularly memorable, because of how the tone of the meeting shifted so quickly; sometimes we forget they’re human too. Hearing Congressman Bilirakis call us his “Armenian cousins,” having a heartfelt conversation with Congresswoman Eshoo about the Armenian struggle, and hearing Congressman Sherman testify that Artsakh is historically Armenian were life-changing moments for me.

I had grown up always hearing about how Armenians had gotten the short end of the stick in so many different ways. So many failures and injustices committed against our people, it was no wonder that my view of American politics towards Armenia was negative. However, I came to this internship only to discover that the Armenian community possesses many friends in Washington. I was also reminded that incrementalism is a very real aspect of the political world. Change is agonizingly slow, almost to the point that it feels like regression, but this summer is proof that with tenacity and perseverance progress can be achieved.

Of the plethora of memories this internship has already given me, the most lasting will be the friendships that I have forged. Within the first week, it felt like we had already been living together for months. We can be arguing in one moment and laughing together in the next, and then a moment later we’re cooking and eating dinner together. It truly feels like a home away from home.

Earlier I mentioned that this internship was my first time living alone, but that wasn’t really true. This internship has done nothing but solidify my belief that William Saroyan was right when he said, “For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” That’s why I believe in Hai Tahd and the work that the ANCA does. I will never really be on my own as long as I have a fellow Armenian by my side. If there should be none around me, I’ll still always have Armenia in my heart and Hai Tahd on my mind.