Sowing The Seeds of a Prosperous Nation
Fletcher Graduates 7th Armenian Certificate Program
G
athered in Ballou Hall’s Coolidge Room, the 15 men and women celebrated more than the semester’s end and a certificate in hand. As the music played and the group sang arm in arm, they celebrated a unique bond that will undoubtedly continue through the years as each finds their way back to Armenia, to their families, and their homes.
Over the past six months, the group of young professionals, like six groups before them—ranging from lawyers to diplomats and economists alike—underwent intensive study here at The Fletcher School as part of a collaborative education initiative between Fletcher, The Tavitian Foundation and the Foreign Ministry of Armenia. The goal: to prepare the future leaders of Armenia with a sound understanding of the challenges they face in an increasingly global world and to instill a broader, Western command of international relations acumen.
Established in 1999, the Armenian Certificate Training Program began with what had initially been private funding of select Armenian students by Aso Tavitian, a successful Bulgaria-born Armenian, who up until 2008 served as CEO of Syncsort, a software company he co-founded in 1969.
Determined to endow a program that would make an even greater impact on his motherland, Tavitian sought the support of then-Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vartan Oskanian, F93, who provided a short list of professionals who would prove excellent candidates for the program’s intensive study.
Since its inception, the Armenian program has graduated 105 “Tavitian Scholars” who return to Armenia with additional skills and knowledge to assist in the nation’s strategic rise within its region and the world.
During the graduation ceremony on June 12, 2009, Mr. Tavitian was on hand to congratulate the new crop of graduates. He, along with Senior Associate Dean Deborah Nutter and professors Bill Martel and Phil Uhlmann, offered thoughts on the impact of the program.
“I’m not sure we saw in the beginning just how successful it would become,” said Tavitian. “[The program] will continue to make inroads toward democracy and a free market economy in Armenia.”
“You have a burden and an opportunity,” added Martel. He went on to discuss the burden of the future of a nation in the hands of these chosen professionals. The opportunity: an Armenia rife with possibilities for growth and prosperity, with new global relationships, trade and security.
During his address to the students, professor Uhlmann addressed a theme apparent throughout the semester and during the ceremony and the luncheon that followed: the unique bond between the students that formed through shared experiences and a common goal.
With frequent all-nighters, a rigorous course schedule, various outings to financial institutions in Boston and New York, a friendship formed between the 15 students that will undoubtedly carry on beyond their time at Fletcher. Adding to the connectedness was the ever-present support of Tufts Trustee Emerita Dr. Joyce Barsam, the program’s “heart and soul”, who has provided key moral support and guidance throughout the program’s existence.
With the semester at a close and certificates in hand, the group returns to Armenia with a network of Tavitian Scholars to call upon as they seek to bring about new policies and initiatives. These agents of change will become the leadership needed to usher Armenia into a new era of prosperity.