Vartan Gregorian Donates Book Collection to American University in Armenia

YEREVAN — The American University of Armenia (AUA) welcomed Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, for the official opening of his personal book collection at the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Papazian Library. In recent years, Gregorian has donated hundreds of books on history, sociology, philosophy, and art to supplement AUA’s resources and emphasize the important role of higher education as a vehicle for social change and economic progress in Armenia.

“Armenia owes a debt of gratitude to the Armenian diaspora, especially the diaspora in the United States, for building this institution (AUA),” Gregorian said during his visit. “But Armenia should also build from within. Wealth that has been created in this country should be reinvested in this country.”

That evening, a standing-room-only crowd packed a campus lecture hall to hear Gregorian and Dr. Mihran Agbabian, p resident emeritus of AUA, discuss how they had benefited from teachers who guided them in their early education and from the opportunities presented through higher education in the United States.

“At Stanford University, every teacher I took courses from became my mentor,” said Gregorian. “They wanted me to succeed desperately. It became their challenge to see me succeed. Because of them, I have always believed that students don’t fail, teachers fail.”