2002_03 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper March 2002

              4
Hye Sharzhoom
March 2002
Three Views of Armenian Economy
Alexander Chilingaryan
Chris T ozlian
STAFF WRITER
Most Armenians feel some sort
of tie to Armenia. They look at it as
their place of birth, even if they
have never set foot on its soil or
gazed at Mount
Ararat standing
just beyond the
border of Armenia. They see it
as the setting of
their hi story and
they feel a sense
of gratitude to
this geographic
area that once
provided for
their ancestors.
They take pride
in this place that once housed
mighty rulers like Dickran II (the
Great) and Christian martyrs such
as Vartan Mamigonian. Because
of this sense of pride, many Armenians ponder the current welfare of
this nation that they owe so much
to, which has only had an independent government since 1991.
On Thursday, Feb. 28, Armenians in the Fresno area were able
to hear first-hand about the status
of their homeland, as professors
Armen Yeghiazaryan, Narek
Martirosyan, and Alexander
Chilingaryan spoke at CSU Fresno
to a large audience about the current economic conditions in Armenia.
These three professors all teach
at Yerevan State University (YSU)
but visited Fresno recently as part
of a project that brings together
CSU Fresno and YSU; the goal of
this project is to implement new
curriculum and teaching techniques
at YSU. The expected result is
better-trained and better-prepared
business students who will be ready
for the "real world" when they are
placed in the business sector of
Armenia.
The speakers each focused on
a different aspect of Armenia's
economy: foreign investment
within Armenia; the financial deficit of the Armenian government;
and personnel management (human
resource management) within Armenian businesses.
The first to speak was Professor Armen
Yeghiazaryan,
who spoke
about foreign
investment taking place within
Armenia. He
began by pointing out that foreign investment
within Armenia
is currently $45
per capita,
while most
other former Soviet Union nations
sit somewhere around $20 per
capita; conversely, this $45 mark
compares rather poorly to oil-rich
Arab nations that have foreign investment at approximately $75 per
capita. Still, foreign investment
within Armenia is growing and is
greater than the
foreign investment entering
Armenia's surrounding nations.
Yeghiazaryan
went on to concisely explain
both the problems and the
benefits that
were related to
foreign investment in Armenia. First, he explained the problems that investors
faced, such as Armenia's small market, comprised largely of poverty-
stricken people. Government corruption and meddlesome government agencies also work as deterrents to foreign investment; frustrated relations between Armenia
and some of its neighboring countries have also caused potential investors to question Armenia as the
Armen Yeghiazaryan
Nareg Matirosyan
site for their investments. However, Professor Yeghiazaryan also
explained that Armenia had a certain attraction to potential investors, such as the population's high
level of education and desire to
work. He also mentioned the relatively low rate of inflation and the
stable exchange rate as being incentives for foreign investors.
Next, Professor Martirosyan
spoke concerning Armenia's financial debt, which has risen each year.
While this does
not seem to be an
indicator of governmental stability, further examination of the
statistics is necessary. From
1992 to 1993,
there was more
than an 80% increase in the government deficit,
while from 1999
to 2000, there was less than a four
percent deficit increase. Because
the GDP has
been rising so
rapidly in the
past few fiscal
years, Professor
Martirosyan
I predicts greater
| financial growth
| in Armenia. He
3 added that the
| continued defi-
| cits in past years
have been a result of the
Karabagh wars and difficulties in
the government collecting all their
taxes. However, as industry continues to grow and peace is sought
out, the annual deficit should continue to shrink smaller and smaller
until it is no more.
Finally,Professor
Chilingaryan spoke, explaining that
personnel management is given
little attention in Armenia, which is
quite contrary to the American style
of business. Managers in Armenia
still do not fully understand and
embrace the importance of personnel management, partially because
of past Soviet influence on business.  Also, during this transition Carina Karakashian
period from government-run busi- STAFF WRITER
nesses to privately-run businesses,      presno Sfate Armenian
no formal theory has smoothly       e»t .#!«•%•• ~« *u*> c*%A*f
guided the change. The uncertain       SttldeiUS On the Spot/
and ever-changing economic environment, that is the Armenian If YOU COULD USE ONE
economy, has made the institution ARMENIAN WORD TO
of personnel
DESCRIBE YOURSELF WHAT
management
relatively difficult. Armenian
universities are
only now making the transition to properly
train and mold
the managers
of tomorrow's
economy. For
these reasons,
personnel
management is struggling in Armenia; however, the first step toward solving this problem is acknowledging the problem. This
acknowledgment came years ago,
and faculty at YSU are looking for
ways to correct inefficient business
practices in Armenia.
Though it may seem a bit disheartening to think ofthe trials facing the Armenian economy, each
professor pointed out that the Armenian economy is growing and
has the ability to become strong
and stable. As foreign investment
grows and the GDP continues to
rise, this will push down the deficit
that many are concerned with. This
will necessitate more competent
managers to lead groups of workers efficiently. Ultimately, the lecture proved to be a message of hope
to all who attended; though things
may look bleak now, the Armenian
economy is on the rise.
The lecture was sponsored by
the Armenian Studies Program and
Armenian Students Organization.
WOULD IT BE? **
I     Armenian Studies Program
Book/Video/CD/ Donations
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian and the Armenian Studies Program would like to
thank the donors, authors, and publishers for the following books, periodicals, videos, and archival gifts.
Edward Alexander, Bethesda, MD, for the copy of his book, A Crime of
Vengeance, an Armenian Struggle for Justice. Nebraska: Universe.com, Inc,
1991.
Artissage, Arts Magazine, Leiden-Utrecht, 2001, a full color museum
magazine entirely devoted to three Armenian exhibits being held in Holland
for the 1700th anniversary of Armenian Christianity: 1) "Armenian: Hidden
Wealth from the Mountains," at the National Museum of Antiquities, 2)
"Armenia: Medieval Miniatures from the Christian East," at the Museum
Catharijneconvent, Utrecht, 3) "Armenia: The Encounter/Four Contemporary Artists from the Diaspora," at the Municipal Museum De Lakenhal,
Leiden. Bilingual text in English and Dutch. Available at info@rmo.nl, and
www.vemissageverlag.de.
S. Peter Cowe, Catalogue ofthe Armenian Manuscripts in the Cambridge
University Library, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Subsidia,
vol. 86, Louvain: Peeters, 1994, xiii, 232 pages; a detailed description of 25
manuscripts.
Armen Dadour, Granada Hills, CA, for the copy of The Vartouhy Rose
Dadour Commemorative Book. Granada Hills, 2001.
Charles Dowsett, for his book Sayat '-Nova, An 18th-century Troubadour, A
Biographical and Literary Study, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum
Orientalium, Subsidia, vol. 91, Louvain: Peeters, 1997, xviii, 508 pages, no
doubt the definitive study of Sayat Nova by the late Oxford scholar.
H. G. Gabrielyan, Haykakan lernashkharh (Mountainous Armenian), Erevan,
Yerevan State University, 2000.
Nina Garsoian, for the book L'Eglise armenienne et le grand schisme
d'Orient, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Subsidia, vol.
100, Louvain: Peeters, 1999, lxx, 630 pages, a massive record ofthe early
centuries of Armenian Christianity and inter-church relations.
I Inheritance: Art and Images beyond a Silenced Genocide, Chicago: Beacon
Street Gallery, 2001, catalogue of an exhibit featuring eight Armenian artists I
to be held from March 8 to April 26, 2002, courtesy of Modem Icon:
Contemporary Artists and the Legacy of the Armenian Illuminated Manuscript, with a preface by Dickran Kouymjian, Glendale: j^rand Library and
Art Center, 2001. Catalogue of an exhibit held at the Brand Library from
September 15 to October 20, 2001 curated by Caroline Lais-Tufenkian,
available through the Brand Library, (818) 548-2050.
Mr. Charles Nigolian Modesto, CA, for the French language articles,
periodicals and Armenian books.
Dr. & Rev. Fr. Abel Oghlugean, Matenagrakan hetazotut'iwnner Movses
vrd. Erznkats'u grakan areghcuaci shurj (Bibliographic Research on the
Literary Enigma of Movses vardapet Erzenkats'i), Ejmiacin, 2001, hardcover with dust jacket, 304 pages.
Avedis K. Sanjian, Medieval Armenian Manuscripts at the University of
California, Los Angeles, with contributions by Alice Taylor and Sylvie L.
Merian and with the assistance of S. Peter Cowe, Berkeley-L.A-London:
University of California Press, 1999.
Martin M. Tourigian, Drexel Hill, PA, for his paintings.
J. J. S. Weitenberg, Theo van Lint, H.L.M. Defoer, W.C.M./ Wustefeld,
Armenie middeleeuwse miniaturen uit het christelijke Oosten, (Armenia:
Medieval Miniatures from the Christian East) Utrecht-Zwolle: Museum
Catharijneconventt, 2001. A large, beautifully illustrated catalogue of an
exhibit of Armenian miniature paintings and relics from the Matendaran,
Etchmiadzin and the State Historical Museum of Armenia, Utrecht, Holland
from November 3,2001 to March 3,2002 in honor of the 1700th anniversary
of Armenian Christianity. Available through cathconv@wxs.nl.
William Saroyan, Diary of Paris-Fresno 1967-68, Turkish translation by
Berfil Eyiiboglu, of Saroyan's Days of Life and Death and a Trip to the Moon,
Aras Publishing House, Istanbul, gift of Aziz Gokdemir, available through
arasyayincilik@superonline.com.
CDs
Armenian Folk Music Shoghakan Ensemble, Traditional Crossroads Company, NY, available through tradcross@aol.com.
Vache Sharafyan, Armenian Chamber Music, Traditional Crossroads Company, Harold Hagopian (Fresno State alumnus), POB 20320 Greeley Sq.,
NY, NY 10001, (212) 579-3761 ortradcross@aol.com.
Rami Gabriel
Eer-a-gan
>    "Real"
Nyrie Karkazian
Jar-beeg
"Clever as a fox"
Armen Postoyan
Ash-kha-daser
"Hard-worker"
Talar Atarian
Eesh-khan-oo-hee
"Princess"
Kevin Kandarian
Khef-a-tsee
"Smart"