The School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon introduced a new Armenian Language and Culture Program into its curriculum in the academic year 2018-2019. The new program combines in-class learning and the AVC online courses, which helps them practice and advance their language skills. AVC Academic Director Hasmik Khalapyan and Hybrid Program Coordinator Arpine Tavakalyan held an introductory Skype session with the first group of students, enrolled in the program.

The new educational program is the first Armenian Studies course in Portugal and the result of the efforts by the Portugal-Armenia Friendship Association (AAPA) and the University of Lisbon. The funding for the program was provided by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Earlier this year, Vahe Mkhitarian, AAPA President and Miguel Tamen, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, signed a partnership agreement on the establishment of an Armenian Studies program at the University of Lisbon. In his speech at the ceremony, Professor Miguel Tamen stressed the importance of the agreement for the promotion of the Armenian language and culture in Portugal. The new Armenian Language and Culture Program at the Lisbon University was officially launched in April 2018.

“We are very pleased to see that University of Lisbon today is ready to collaborate with us and to leverage these courses,” AVC Founding President Yervant Zorian said in his video address to the participants of the event. “With this new program we are proud to collaborate with all these parties together and provide necessary for making a very successful university program for language and culture,” he added.

The program is open to the University students, as well as all those interested in the Armenian Studies, including the members of the local Armenian community.