Dr. Vartan Gregorian discusses Haigazian University, Carnegie Projects
and Armenia – on NJ Armenian Radio

South Orange, NJ: On Monday June 20, 2005 the Armenian Radio Hour of
New Jersey had scheduled a phone-interview with Dr. Vartan Gregorian
about Haigazian University. This year marks the 50th. anniversary of
Haigazian. The interview branched into Carnegie Projects and concerns
about present-day Armenia.

Dr. Vartan Gregorian is the 12th president of Carnegie Corporation of
New York, a grant-making institution founded by Andrew Carnegie in
1911. Prior to his current position, which he assumed in June 1997,
Dr.

Gregorian served for nine years as the 16th president of Brown
University.

Haigazian University:

I am very impressed by the Haigazian College. I was a student in
Beirut, Lebanon in 1950’s . I have seen spectacular rise in prestige,
in offering of courses, in status. Also more importantly Haigazian has
been able to unitethe best qualities of Armenian with the best
international and universal values.

It is not a ghetto University, it is a Lebanese University, founded by
Armenian philanthropy. I admire its leadership, its president. What a
spectacular job they have done with Haigazian in competing with
American Universities with Lebanese Universities, with French
Universities. Haigazian has welcomed competition and excelled in many
areas. I am very proud of all the donors who have given so
generously. I am also proud of the faculty. Through
Haigazian,Armenians have contributed not to the Armenian community of
Lebanon but to Lebanon and the Middle East as well. Everybody in
Lebanon wants to preserve Haigazian not only because it is Armenian
but because it is also Lebanese. Founders of Haigazian and its board
of trustees expanded the mission of Haigazian; they universalized and
internationalized Haigazian. Today, not only Armenians have a stake in
Haigazian; all Lebanese and others have a stake in it.

Carnegie Projects:

Carnegie Corporation in New York is very active in education. We are
involved in higher education in the former Soviet Union and now
Russia. We support 12 universities. We expanded our efforts into the
Trans-Caucuses – Armenia,Azerbajian and Georgia – provided the three
of them cooperate. We are supporting 12 African universities with
other foundations. We are involved in reforming teacher education in
America. We help immigrants to adapt to America and protect immigrant
rights in this country. Trying to engage the youth of America in
politics rather only in volunteer service.

I was in Istanbul just two weeks ago with a congressional delegation
of 18 Senators and Congressman and 10 scholars and participated in a
seminar dealing with `Radical Islam’. We went to Bosnia-Herzegovina to
visit our son who is America’s liaison with the governing body of
Bosnia. He is lieutenant commander and he is working with a commission
that is trying to provide Bosnia with an integrated army.

Then, I was in Cairo -guest of Aha Khan – visiting the inaugural of
his 74-acre garden that was built on the location of the 500-year
garbage dumpof Cairo.

Tomorrow I am going to Washington. D.C. to receive the Jefferson
Award, for citizen who have contributed most to public
welfare. Governor Kean and Lee Hamilton will also be receiving the
award. In the summer we are going to Aspen Institute to discuss `The
future of Russia’ with 20 Congressman and Senators. Then I may be
going to Qatar, because I am on the Qatar Foundation Board.

Armenia:

Armenia needs jobs. Armenia needs investments. Armenia does not need
charity. We have a nation full of talent, full of educated people in
searchof opportunity. If we do not provide opportunity, the
opportunity will be provided by other nations – from Kazakhstan, to
Russia, to Australia – I do not want us to do the same mistake we did
in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, when Armenian nation build all
their strength outside the boundaries of historic Armenia. We built
our centers in Venice, in Vienna, in Moscow, in St. Petersburg, in
Rostov, in Baku, Tiflis, Marseilles, Paris you name it – Cyprus but
not historical Armenia. That would be a tragedy for us.

My other concern is to teach Diaspora Armenians and all our friends –
`If you want to help Armenia then invest in Armenia’. Andrew Carnegie
said `don’t give fish to people who are hungry, give them fishing rods
in order to make them not dependent but independent; to make them
self-reliant.

Another concern I have is that many Armenians don’t understand that
Armenia is their state. It was all right to be corrupt in the Soviet
Union when they did not believe the state belongs to them – but this
is their state. Whatever we can do to bring about transparency,
honesty and jobs – those three are important – with national
consciousness.

What also pains me is to see a 99.9% literate nation without a major
bookstore in Yerevan or other places – that could be bringing in
international books and magazines to satisfy our nations thirst.

In closing jobs, jobs, jobs ; opportunity, opportunity, opportunity;
investment, investment, investment. Those are things Armenia needs and
those are things we should focus on.

The Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey (ARHNJ) may be heard on Sundays
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