1992_12 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper December 1992

              December 1992
PageS
Volpp named President of new Yerevan University
By, Dr. Dickran Kouymjian
Professor of Armenian Studies
The newly founded Haigazian University College Graduate School of Management in Yerevan, Armenia has appointed as
its first President, Dr. Louis Volpp, recendy
retired professor of Management at CSUF.
Haigazian University College is an American institution of higher learning established
nearly four decades ago in Beirut, Lebanon.
The University, closely related to the Armenian Missionary Association of America
was invited to open an American styled
graduate business program in the newly
independent Armenian Republic.
Volpp served fifteen years at CSUF, at
first as the Vice President for Academic
Affairs and then as professor in the School
of Business. Previously he had been Dean
of the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University in New York and occupied the same post earlier at Duke University. The new President took up his duties in
Armenia in early October. The Haigazian
Graduate School of Management is in its
second year, though last year was a preliminary one, preparing accepted students with
proper language skills to begin classes to be
taught in English.
President Volpp will set up the curriculum of the school but also teach courses in
his specialization. Haigazian is the second
American University to be established in
Armenia. The American University of Armenia is now in its second- full year of
operation.
With the new President is his wife Holly
Volpp, a graduate of the Nursing School at
the University of Iowa; she will be working
closely with the health care situation in
Armenia. Later this year, the Volpps' son,
Bryan, a doctor specializing in infectious
diseases, will go to Armenia on a special
assignment for the Ministry of Health.
Before Louis Volpp left Fresno for Armenia, Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Berberian
Professor of Armenian Studies, a long time
friend and colleague, conducted an inter
viewed with the new president for Hye
Sharzhoom. Below are excerpts from then-
exchange.
D.K. Dr. Volpp what made you accept
a post in a former Soviet Republic that you
had never visited so soon after retiring from
a long career as professor and administrator?
L.V. I have always wanted to serve
society, especially by serving students, the
future of any nation. I had been fascinated
by the events that swept the Soviet Union, its
disintegration, and the attempt being made
by the newly independent republics to establish market economies in place of the
former state run ones. Haigazian
University's newly formed graduate business program in Armenia seemed an extraordinarily fortuitous chance to make a
direct impact on the future managers of-a
new country.
D.K. But why Armenia and why so
quickly?
L.V. We have known Armenians most
of our lives, and of course especially since
Holly and I came to Fresno. The former
pastor of our Presbyterian church was Bill
Antablin, himself an Armenian. He and his
wife Florence were instrumental in putting
me in direct contact with the administration
of Haigazian University College. Though I
had never been to Armenia, I knew a lot
about it from Armenian friends, colleagues,
and students at CSUF. Armenia seemed like
a perfect choice.
D.K. Yet you certainly knew that Armenia was in a virtually undeclared war
with Azerbaijan over the former Armenian
territory of the Mountainous Karabagh, now
part of Azerbaijan. And you were informed
about the shortages in electricity, the Azeri
blockade of Armenia which prevents any
fuel and even food supplies from reaching
the country, the mounting inflation nearly
Dr. Louis Volpp and Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, before Voipp's departure to Armenia.
400 % since the breakup of the Soviet union,
the devastation of the earthquake of 1988,
and the hundreds of thousands of Armenia
refugees from Azerbaijan vying to simply
keep life and limb together. In the face of
these catastrophic conditions how were you
able to make a positive decision so quickly?
L.V. For twenty years my wife and I
have talked about what we wanted to do
after retirement to help others. We had
considered missionary aid work with our
church. We had thought of the Peace Corps,
or a similar activity, that would allow us to
put our accumulated talents to the best use.
When I heard about Haigazian University's
venture in Armenia and saw the chance to
make a different in the future direction and
management of a new country it seemed to
fit in well with our desires and what the two
of us had prepared for all our lives: teaching
and leading.
D.K. What specific plans do you have
as the President of a new Graduate School in
a new country?
L.V. I would like to build the Haigazian
Graduate School of Management into an
institution that can educate young Armenian professionals in the modem practice of
management. Additionally, and as acomple-
ment to that program I will work to develop
at the school aprogram in political economy
so that the environment of business practices in a Republic moving toward a market
economy be as congenial as possible. Management cannot be taught in a vacuum;
those learning business practices must also
appreciate the workings of international
politics and how they relate to a global
economy.
D.K. Have you had previous experience in working and teaching your specialty
abroad?
L.V. I've taught an executive program
in Hong Kong, been a consultant for a European university consortium on the design of
graduate business programs, an American
program advisor for a French school, and a
consultant for the United Nations in Egypt
My wife and I have lived and traveled abroad
quite a bit and we are looking forward to the
challenging assignment in Armenia
D.K. We hope you and Holly will be
back soon and tell us at Fresno State, perhaps at our annual Armenian Studies Banquet in February, about your experiences.
Good luck.in Armenia!
Bousian designs new logo for ASP
By Cynthia Baxter
Hye Sharzhoom Editor
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The Armenian Studies Program has experienced a new look
with the unveiling of the
program's new logo which was
created as a favor to the department by Jack Bousian, a retired
graphic artist and advertising art
director.
Bousian, who has worked as
the art director for such advertising agencies as BBDO in San
Francisco and his own business
Graphics One
Associates in
Stanford, Connecticut, said the
new logo is a
very simple design of a stylized
letter "a." He
said he played
with different combinations of the
abbreviation A.S.P., which stands
for the Armenian Studies Program,
but he felt that the simple "a" form
would be more recognizable.
The new logo will be used for
publications of bom the CSU,
Fresno Armenian Studies Program and of the Sarkis and Meline
Center for Armenian Studies, including the program's newsletter and press releases.
DID YOU KNOW THAT....?
By Lara Vahe D emir j ian, Staff Writer
1) Did you know that Mount Ararat is 17,500 feet high?
2) Did ypu know that Karabagh is a modern Armenian name that
Turkey gave to Artsakh, which is the historic Armenian name of
the region?
3) Did you know that "Khatchars" (cross-stones) are only found in
Armenia?
4) Did you know that Armenians were the: first people to accept
Quistiamty as a state religion in 314 A.D.?
5) Did you know that Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, was founded
in 782 B.C.?
6) Did you know that we gettheMmie^
Courier,** and "Ameniari Re|jorter,* in our own school hbrary?
7) Did you know that the former Governor of California was Arme
nian? (George Deukmejian)