CONSUL GENERAL OF ARMENIA IN LOS ANGELES AMBASSADOR ARMEN BAIBOURTIAN MET WITH THE CHANCELLOR AND VICE CHANCELLORS OF THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES

29 April, 2021

GLENDALE - On April 29, Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian held a virtual meeting with Chancellor of the California Community Colleges Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Executive Vice Chancellor of Educational Services Marty Alvarado, and Vice Chancellor of Governmental Relations David O'Brien. The discussion focused on establishing cooperation programs between the colleges and universities in Armenia and the California Community Colleges system.

The Armenian Consul General highlighted the importance of developing cooperation through the exchange of students. In the framework of the study abroad program, students can have the opportunity to study for one or two academic semesters at a partner institution. For instance, the California Community College students can spend a semester studying in Armenia. The American University of Armenia (AUA) could be a feasible option, as it is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. Accreditation means degrees and course credits issued by the AUA have a status equal to those issued in the U.S. The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges assured about his readiness to devise a document on cooperation in the near future.

Ambassador Baibourtian also noted that a vast opportunity for cooperation was created with the U.S. President Biden’s historic statement on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In that context, one of the key goals for enhancing cooperation should be the process of deepening and expanding the teaching of the Armenian history and culture in the California Community Colleges system. Armen Baibourtian stressed that a fertile ground for a deep and comprehensive cooperation was created also in the field of education since 2019, when the Armenia-California Framework Agreement on Cooperation was signed.

The interlocutors touched upon the Glendale and Pasadena Community Colleges, where large numbers of Armenian students have the opportunity to receive excellent education with largely symbolic tuition fee rates.

At the end of the meeting, Consul General of Armenia cordially invited Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to visit Armenia in order to get acquainted with educational opportunities on the spot and assess the prospects and parameters of cooperation. In his turn, Chancellor Ortiz Oakley expressed willingness to visit the Consulate General of Armenia during his visit to Los Angeles.

With more than 2.1 million students at 116 colleges, the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the United States. One in every four community college students in the nation attend a California community college.

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