1996_11 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper November 1996

              V3 'ONSHtfd
39Z "°N UUU3J
aivd
9§HJS0d'STl
jijojy-uoM
pajsanbay uoipaj.103 sssappy
T008-0tZ.£6 VD 'ousay
V S/W 3AV *wpeg "N Cfr£C
urejgay saipnjg ubiusuiiv
iy uoxjBziireSio sjuspnjs UBiuauuy
OUS3JJ 'nsD  3lP J° J3<fedSM3JvI 3MJ,
#F£ SHARZHOOM
Armenian Action
^,U3 OUPtfflMJ1
November 1996
Vol. 18, No. 1 (55)
Supplement to The Collegian
Ag Project Connects Valley Farmers to Armenia
Special to Hye Sharzhoom
by Bill Erysian
Following the breakup of
the Soviet Union, Armenia
launched one of the most ambitious land privatization programs
of any of the former Soviet states.
By 1992, nearly all ofthe 800 state
and collective farms were broken
up and more than 300,000 private
farms were created.
Building on the potential
that now lies in Armenia's farm
belt, California State University,
Fresno has been awarded a grant of
more than $400,000 from the United
States Department of Agriculture
to provide an extensive program of
academic, marketing and technical
support to the Armenian agricultural industry.
The CSUF grant is part of
a larger project implemented earlier this year in Armenia through .
the USDA called the Armenian
Agriculture Marketing Assistance
Program.
The USDA Project was
funded to improve the marketing
of Armenian agricultural production, both domestically and internationally, with a special emphasis
on high value horticultural commodities. The goals are to mitigate
marketing constraints in Armenia,
improve farm income and promote
agricultural exports.
The Project is also designed to strengthen the existing
Armenian Extension Service
(Agrogit-aspiur) and the Armenian
Agricultural Academy, especially
its agricultural economics and food
processing faculties.
As for marketing, the
Project will try to develop strategies to assist Armenian entrepreneurs interested in expanding their
horticultural processing and export
markets. Further support is also
being given to the work of the
Agrogitaspiur, established in 1992,
to develop staff, resource allocation and ongoing farmer education
and advice.
The USDA has already
created a marketing advisory office in Yerevan, which serves as a
clearinghouse for all aspects ofthe
Project.
In short, the Project seeks
to assist an economy that is in the
midst of reform.
"By starting to develop a
pipeline of agricultural marketing
specialists and educational programs, we can help move Armenian agriculture from the old-style
Soviet planned model to a more
market-oriented economy," explained Juan Batista, professor of
agricultural economics at CSUF,
who serves as director of CSUF's
role in the Project.
As the lead academic institution chosen to participate on
the Project, CSUF is poised to offer
a variety of resources and expertise. Thedecision in favor of CSUF,
Left to Right: Front row-Heghine Mkrtchian, Haig Sahatdjian, Sarkis
Sahatdjian, Hamlet Arshakian, Sisak Haroutunian, Melkon Avetissian,
Rafik Simonian, Michael Kalashian. Back row- Nubert Baker, Ashot
Gasparian, Avetik Nersissian, Samvel Hovhanissian, Ashot Galstian,
Dr. Bill Rice, Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Victor Sahatdjian. Eleven
farmers from Armenia visited Fresno for a three week training
program, October 5-25, called the Horticulture/Agriculture Diversification Project with Armenia, sponsored by the United States Agency
for International Development. Dr. Bill Mallios and Dr. Bill Rice from
the Fresno State Craig School of Business directed the Program.
Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program coordinated the translation services and cu Itural programs for the farmers.
according to USDA Official Tim
Grosser, was an easy one.
"Fresno was the natural
place to go for the USDA because
the university was a good fit with
its worldwide reputation in agricultural research and education,"
he explained. "Additionally, there
is a large local Armenian community, many of whom are involved in
agriculture. CSUF has a long his
tory of cooperation with the local
Armenian community and an ongoing relationship with the Armenian Agricultural Academy, as well
as a notable Armenian Studies Program that can provide the sociopolitical support for issues surrounding this type of project."
CSUF is already working
closely with the Academy to set up
programs that provide technical
assistance to Armenians in the areas of agricultural marketing,
grades and standards, transportation, packaging, processing, merchandising, advertising and promotions.
"Our primary goal here at
the university is to assist the Armenian Agricultural Academy develop
a strategic plan with the idea that
from that plan, a comprehensive
program in agricultural marketing
and business be developed," B ati sta
said.
He added that CSUF also
has the ability to go into the local
community and solicit help from
individuals and organizations interested in contributing to the
project.
"We plan to have a great
deal of input from the local
agribusiness community in helping to establish some practical
guidelines for the Academy," he
said.
Batista is already planning
a trip to Armenia this November
accompanied by a local expert in
countertrade to advise on technology that can be imported into Armenia and an expert to advise on
dehydrating grapes.
In related project developments, Jeff Ennen, ATI-NET
general manager at CSUF, recently
returned from a trip to Armenia
where he began the development
See AG Project, Page 8
Kouymjian To Be Honored at Twentieth Anniversary Banquet
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Haig
and Isabel Berberian Professor of
Armenian Studies at California
State University, Fresno will be
honored at a special 20th anniversary Banquet ofthe Armenian Studies Program to be held on Sunday,
November 10, 1996. The Banquet
is being hosted by the Advisory
Board of the Kalfayan Center for
Armenian Studies.
During his twenty-year tenure
as director oftlie Armenian Studies
Program, the Program has added
two faculty members and has become the most active Program in
the nation.
Dr. Kouymjian was selected
as the William Saroyan Professor
of Armenian Studies at the University of California at Berkely for the
Fall 1996 semester. He is teaching
two courses there, Armenian Film
and William Saroyan.
Dickran Kouymjian received
the first PhD. in Armenian Studies
from ColumbiaUniversity in 1967.
Since then he has had a distinguished career in academics, having taught at the American University of Beirut, Columbia University, American University of Cairo,
the American University in Paris,
the Armenian Section ofthe Institut
national des languesetcivilisations
orientales (1NALCO), University
of Paris III, and for the last twenty
years at California State University, Fresno.
In 1987 he was chosen as a
Fulbright Senior Lecturer in the
Department of Foreign Languages
and Literature at Yerevan State University in Yerevan, Armenia.
In 1988, after successfully
completing a fund drive for an En-
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian
dowed Chair in Armenian Studies,
Professor Kouymjian was selected
as the first incumbent to the Haig
and Isabel Berberian Chair of Armenian Studies.
I n   1   9  9 6
Kouymjian was instrumental in arranging for the establishment ofthe Henry S.
Khanzadian Kazan
Professorship    of
Modern Armenian
and   Immigration
History in the Department of History and
Armenian Studies
Program.   The Professorship will be
filled after an international search is
completed at the end
of this year.
Dr. Kouymjian was a founding member of the Asociation
Internationale     des     itudes
artneniennes (1982) and a founding member ofthe Society for Ar
menian Studies (1974). He served
for two terms as the President ofthe
Society for Armenian Studies. He
serves on the editorial board ofthe
Revue des Eludes Armeniennes, the
Journal of Armenian Studies,
Ararat Literary Quarterly, and the
Armenian Review.
Dr. Kouymjian has received
numerous honors in his career including being named as Outstanding Professor of the Year at CSU
Fresno (1986).
He is the author of more than a
dozen books and monographs including The Arts of Armenia
(1992), Warsaw Visitor and Tales
from the Vienna Streets. The Last
Two Plays of William Saroyan
(1990), William Sarovan: An Armenian Trilogy (1986), and the Index of Armenian Art. Fascicule I
andJI (1977,1979).