The renovated Student Lounge, formerly the Computer Lab, was opened on August 31. The ceremony drew ICARE/ATC alumni, students, faculty, as well as Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Chairman of the ANAU Board of Trustees, Armen Harutyunyan, representatives from the Cronimet Charity Foundation, the ANAU Acting Rector, Vardan Urutyan, and Vice Rector Rector Academic Affairs, Robert Makaryan.

Dr. Urutyan thanked ATC alumni who initiated the renovation of the former Computer Lab. Both the alumni and the ICARE/ATC staff who contributed to the fundraising for the reconstruction. “However, this would not happen without the generous support from the Cronimet Charity Foundation; they loved the idea and they showed an excellent example of corporate social responsibility. Thank you for this critical support,” said Dr. Urutyan.

He handed over the Golden Apricot award and the Certificate of the Golden Sponsor of ICARE to Diana Avdalyan, the Manager of Cronimet. “I am happy to see the result of our joint effort just as we planned. Congratulations!” Ms. Avdalyan said.

Deputy Minister Hovhannisyan said, “Every educational institution I step in, I always ask myself – would I be happy to be a student of this institution. We are now facing the need to significantly raise the quality of education in the country. And one of the critical components of the quality of education is the learning environment. No doubt, this Student Lounge is going to be a center of excellence for the students to study and communicate freely. I am convinced that, under Dr. Urutyan’s leadership, it will be possible to create such an environment in the entire Agrarian University within a few years. Thank you for creating this environment. I have seen this warmth in the eyes of your students only in leading foreign universities. I am sure that in a few years can see the same warmth in the eyes of all students of ANAU and all its subdivisions.”

Armen Harutyunyan and Diana Avdalyan cut the ribbon and here we are! Enjoy the new Student Lounge or the “Dream Lab” as the students named it right away.

The ceremony was preceded by an impressive tour for the Deputy Minister in the ICARE premises led by Dr. Urutyan.