Extension Program

Since its inception in 1992, the AUA Extension Program serves as the University's principal interface with the community. It targets certain sectors of government, academia, and private organizations to help them fulfill professional or career goals through flexible and innovative training or continuing education programs. These may deal with issues that have local or international significance and are designed to improve understanding of social, economic, and political realities.

Topics dealing with language proficiency, business and public administration, and social sciences are offered in the form of regular classes, public lectures, or seminars. Attendees include professionals from both public and private sectors. Extension Program courses and lectures have included topics such as English language instruction, Armenian language pedagogy, translation and interpretation, environmental safety, media, library science, negotiation and settlement, accounting, banking, finance, taxation, international economic relations, business communication, office management, government, computer programming, software use, and public administration. Programs may last a few hours or run for a few months, depending on need.

The Extension Program continuously seeks to expand its programs to reach people beyond the confines of Yerevan. In that context, the Program has collaborated with the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Armenian State Television. It has also offered classes in Gyoomree and Vanadzor on Accounting principles, as well as a series of courses focusing on Management, Finance, Marketing, and Accounting in Speetak, the latter with assistance from the Eurasia Foundation.

In 2000, the Extension Program established a series of English language classes in Gyoomree, in response to public requests from that city. In 2002, this program was expanded to include courses on Translation and Interpretation. A course was also offered in collaboration with the Women's Entrepreneurship Program. By 2005, some 250 students had participated in Extension Program activities in Gyoomree.

With the active cooperation of USAID and the MacArthur Foundation, the Extension Program has promoted seminars and workshops intended for the professional development of lawyers and judges, as well as a conference dealing with topics in Political Science as they apply to Transcaucasia today. Recent one-day workshops have dealt with topics as diverse as the implementation of social change utilizing means available to non-governmental organizations, the growth of the software development industry in Armenia, bar-coding in trade and commerce, computer software applications, and an article-by-article workshop on Armenia's new Criminal Code.

Furthermore, the Extension Program's Internet site seeks to interest both students and the wider public (whether in the Diaspora or in Armenia) who need to gather information on Armenian topics. It has created, in collaboration with Armenian National Radio, a "This Day in Armenian History" feature as well as a Geography information page. Recently, a series of maps were added to our site in collaboration with the Armenian Academy of Sciences. For Armenians in schools across the Armenian Diaspora, it has created an on-line spelling dictionary of difficult words. The presentation is unique and aims to specifically address problems that arise in the pronunciation of Western Armenian.

It has also designed and implemented tailor-made courses for national and international organizations within their human resources professional development programs.

The Extension Program's activities are not part of the University's degree programs and are offered on a non-credit basis. Nevertheless, it is a very busy part of University and community life.

As a measure of its popularity, it has attracted some 9000 students as of 2005.

The AUA Extension Program provides information on its activities via electronic mail. We have set up a mailing list called EXTEN-ANNOUNCE. It will help us to send you information via e-mail.

Should you wish to receive information on our activities, please send a message to:
MAISER@AUA.AM
Please leave the subject line empty and omit your signature. In the body of the message type:

SUBSCRIBE EXTEN-ANNOUNCE

If you no longer wish to receive our messages, please write to:
MAISER@AUA.AM
Please leave the subject line empty and omit your signature. In the body of the message type:

UNSUBSCRIBE EXTEN-ANNOUNCE

This command will remove your address from the mailing list.

Anyone interested in our activities may call the University Extension office at (37410) 512-706 or
send e-mail at: extension@aua.am .

An application form

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