The Harvard Crimson
Published on Friday, October 11, 2002

A new public service program has been created at the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) to train current and future leaders of Armenia in government and public administration. The Manoukian Public Service Program, announced earlier this month, was endowed by a London philanthropist and includes a fellowship for Armenians to study for a master's degree at KSG and an executive training program for Armenian government officials.

The program's goal is `to educate new leaders for the free and prosperous development of Armenia and the good of her citizens and countrymen around the world,' according to a KSG press release.

KSG Dean Joseph S. Nye Jr. said in the release that he believes the new program will help the school in its mission to train world leaders.

`We are honored to have begun this partnership and look forward to working together to employ educational resources and international bridge building to help the Armenian people into a new era of independence, freedom, and prosperity,' Nye said.

The Manoukian Foundation, which financed the program, was founded by Vatche Manoukian, a philanthropist who now lives in London.

The Manoukian Public Service Fellowship will cover full tuition and expenses for one Armenian student in the masters degree program at the KSG.

Civil servants and government officials in Armenia will be eligible for this fellowship, in addition to individuals of Armenian descent who show leadership promise.

Razmig R. Boladian KSG '03 received the fellowship this year. He studied at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and received a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

He is currently in the two-year Master of Public Administration program with a concentration in international trade and finance.

Boladian said he plans to return to Armenia in the future to serve in some capacity, possibly in the area of finance and the central bank. He said the fellowship program is a valuable opportunity to support Armenian development.

`The coupling of the Manoukian Fellowship and the disciplines taught at the Kennedy School will make the future of Armenia brighter,' Boladian said.

The other part of the new venture is the Manoukian Executive Education for Armenia Program.

This allows Armenian government officials to participate in executive programs at KSG on topics such as leadership, political reform and global finance.

The Manoukian Foundation and KSG are also working together to develop a custom program for Armenian officials that focuses specifically on Armenian issues. The location and details of this program have not yet been decided, according to KSG.

Manoukian, who is of Armenian descent and grew up in Lebanon, supports Armenian causes, education and the arts.

Most of his previous projects have been in the United Kingdom.

Armenia is a former Soviet republic that gained its independence in 1991. The country has been involved in territorial disputes with neighboring Azerbaijan which has harmed economic growth and development.

Armenia's capital, Yerevan, has a special connection to Cambridge through the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association. The two cities have been formally linked as sister cities since 1987. Many people of Armenian descent also live in other communities in the Greater Boston area.