U.S. Government Funded Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program Celebrates 15 New Finalists in Armenia

July 9, 2010

U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan cut the Muskie cake (Photo Bravo.am)

On July 9, 2010, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia represented by Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, the Government of Armenia represented by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, IREX Armenia represented by Regional Director for Education Programs Arina Zohrabian, Muskie alumni, and other distinguished guests commemorated the selection of 15 Armenian finalists for the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship program.  Remarks were delivered by Ambassador Yovanovitch, Prime Minister Sargsyan, and Ms. Zohrabian.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to support democracy and economic development in Eurasia, the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and administered by IREX. The program provides opportunities for outstanding professionals to study for advanced degrees in the United States for citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Over the past seventeen years, more than 4000 men and women from Eurasia have studied in 11 academic fields at more than 200 U.S. universities.

In 2010, an independent selection committee chose 15 Armenian finalists to participate in the prestigious Muskie program. These participants, who include state employees, journalists, educators, NGO leaders, lawyers, and business professionals from Yerevan, Shirak, and Lori, , will travel to the U.S. in August 2010 where they will study in one of the following fields: business administration, education, public administration, public health, library and information sciences, and law.  In addition to their studies, they will have the opportunity to participate in volunteer work and an internship.

To date, more than 375 Armenians have been awarded Muskie fellowships under the U.S. State Department-funded program.  More than 60 of these alumni joined the reception to congratulate the new group of Muskie finalists and share with them anecdotes from their studies and living experiences in the United States.