YEREVAN — YEREVAN — On May 22, the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted the public launch event for the Center for Ethics in Public Affairs (ETICA). The Center is the result of a €2.5 million grant awarded to the University from Horizon Europe’s highly coveted and prestigious European Research Area (ERA) Chair competitive funding. To date, Armenia is the first country in the South Caucasus to receive such ERA Chair grants.
The Center is led by Professor Maria Baghramian, ERA chair and professor of philosophy, with Assistant Professor Dr. Arshak Balayan serving as the deputy director of the Center and project coordinator. The project will conduct its primary activities of research, teaching, outreach to the general public, and academic reform under the theme of “Trust and Hope in a Time of Crises.” ETICA is currently recognized as the number one featured project on CORDIS, the European Union’s official platform for showcasing successful research and innovation initiatives. This distinction marks a significant milestone for AUA and for Armenia as a whole, with the national flag proudly displayed on the site.
Hosted in Manoogian Hall, the public launch featured various guests who introduced the project and its plans. AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian opened the event by emphasizing the relevance of ETICA at this juncture in Armenian and world history: “At a time when societies worldwide, and our Armenian society in particular, are navigating a period of turbulent transformation and facing profound ethical choices, the role of interdisciplinary research has become vital in informing responsible governance, public policy, and societal debates. Our country is courageously forging a new social contract based on democratic principles, while simultaneously tackling very 21st-century problems, including climate change, environmental stewardship, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the abuse of data to proliferate misinformation. To my mind, such efforts, undertaken in the face of so much adversity, exemplify the very best ethical behavior of which humanity is capable. I hope this grant will help build appreciation of this unique moment in history and Armenia’s part in this struggle.”
Dr. Stephan Astourian, director of the Turpanjian Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), then took the stage to contextualize the role of ETICA within broader contemporary geopolitical and ethical developments. Going beyond learning, the Center, Dr. Astourian highlighted, will teach students how to think. He also mentioned ETICA’s upcoming “International Conference on National Identity in a Time of Crisis,” co-funded by the European Union and organized in partnership with TISS, the Armenian Society of Fellows, and New York University’s Global Institute for Advanced Study, to take place at the end of June.
Next, Professor Baghramian laid out the specific goals of the ERA program, primarily to establish ETICA as a national and regional hub for excellence in research, training, and outreach in ethics in the public and professional arenas. ETICA is based on four academic pillars: Research & Internationalization, Teaching & Training, Public Outreach, and Structural Reforms in Higher Education. These four pillars are supported by the Communication and Management work packages, co-led by Chief Communications Officer Narek Ghazaryan and Ani Khandimaryan, respectively, as well as international advice and consultancy provided by Dr. Jenny Knell, research development officer at University College Dublin. Professor Baghramian continued by reviewing the importance of ethics in human life and specifically in Armenia, which is the only country in the region with a functioning, if imperfect, democracy.
Professor Baghramian then introduced Dr. Balayan, who presented Pillar II: Teaching and Training. Among the expected initiatives, he noted the Handbook of Applied Ethics in Armenian, which will cover everything from the ethics of war to biomedical ethics; training sessions; and 20 videos on moral philosophy, to be produced in partnership with BoonTV. Following Dr. Balayan’s presentation, Alen Gasparian Amirkhanian, director of the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, provided a brief overview of ETICA’s highly successful predecessor in Armenia, Peritia, which empowered locals to engage in open dialogue regarding issues highly relevant to the public. Amirkhanian then reviewed the primary direction of Pillar III of ETICA, Public Outreach and Participation. These include Deliberative Mini Publics, Youth Juries, intellectual output competitions, town halls, and round tables, among other activities.
Associate Professor and Academic Director of the University’s Office of Sponsored Programs and Technology Transfer Dr. Knar Khachatryan then presented Pillar IV: Structural Reform. She delineated the activities planned for the three groups of objectives comprising this Pillar — namely, Exploration and Gap Analysis, Enhancing Capacity, and Enhancing Research and Grant Support — emphasizing its grassroots, participatory nature. Finally, Ghazaryan explained how ETICA’s initiatives would be communicated, disseminated to the public and how the research outcomes would be exploited, or used, by the University for the benefit of the public. He reviewed the primary communications objectives, brand guidelines, social media platforms, and future communications output for ETICA.
Professor Baghramian then concluded the official portion of the launch by thanking all of those who made the event and ETICA at AUA possible — including AUA Provost Dr. Alina Gharabegian, Manager of Sponsored Programs Siranush Harutyunyan, the Office of Human Resources, Gohar Gasparyan, and Dr. Knell — before opening the floor for questions from the audience. Following a brief Q&A session, attendees proceeded to a reception, where they were able to mingle and discuss topics introduced during the launch over snacks and refreshments.
