The American University of Armenia has received a generous $1,000,000 donation from the Turpanjian Family Foundation to fund programs in the Center for Policy Analysis and the Graduate School of Political Science and International Affairs over the next five years.

In recognition of this major donation for a five-year program, the Board of Trustees of the American University of Armenia decided at its December 2002 meeting to name the Center the Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis.

AUA President Haroutune Armenian stated: “The Turpanjian family’s generous multi-year funding will facilitate planning and development to guarantee that the Center and School better serve its students, Armenia, and the region. We are grateful to the Turpanjian family for targeting their donation in a program that creates a significant step forward for research and policy analysis at AUA.”

The central mission of the Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis is to promote greater knowledge and understanding through objective and independent policy analysis in Armenia and the surrounding region using advanced western methodologies. The long-term objective of the Center is to contribute directly to Armenia’s transition to a democratic state through multi-disciplinary applied policy research. The Turpanjian Center provides unique opportunities for the development of young policy analysts committed to making contributions to Armenian policy-making processes. Thanks to the Turpanjian family, the Center and the Graduate School will become academic meeting places that bridge Armenian, Diasporan, and international scholars and decision-makers in collaborative policy activities.

According to Dr. Lucig Danielian, Associate Director of the Turpanjian Center, “We have always had an open-door for all persons involved in Armenian policy-making processes. The Turpanjian family’s funding will permit us to plan regular policy research and educational outreach activities for policy makers throughout the region. All of us at the Center are excited by the possibilities for new collaborative efforts.”

The Turpanjian family has always been a strong believer in the importance of education, and they have had a special interest in Armenia’s development as a democratic country with strong economy. They decided to make a major donation to AUA after being introduced to the achievements of its graduates by Board members Mr. Vartkes Barsam and President Emeritus Mihran Agbabian.