What is the endowment fund?
The Armenia Global Engagement Endowment Fund is created to support education and development projects in Armenia. These projects are conducted through the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education (ICARE) in partnership with the Armenian National Agrarian University and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. The endowment is managed by the Texas A&M Foundation.
What is the partnership?
This partnership originated in 1999 through the efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and USAID with the purpose of assisting in the development of agricultural businesses and rural communities in their transition to a market-oriented global economy. The focus was on transforming higher education in the areas of economics and business as applied to agriculture and rural development. The partnership has grown into a comprehensive educational, research and outreach platform providing both undergraduate- and master-level diplomas and certificates to dozens of students each year. Grant-funded research related to the mission of serving agribusiness in Armenia and the Caucasus Region is now a significant part of ICARE’s work, as is the unique EVN Wine Academy, which provides practical training and quality assurance for this rapidly expanding industry. (www.icare.am)
What will the endowment fund support?
- Student sponsorships
- Classroom and laboratory renovations
- Infrastructure development
- Curriculum development and program assessment
- Development of new educational and outreach initiatives
- Evaluation of new technologies and entrepreneurial ventures in agribusiness
- Donor-identified education and outreach projects in agribusiness and rural development