By Sarkis Barkhoudarian,
Chairman, Research and Educational Grant Project Committee,
GLENDALE – One of the lesser-known crises in Armenia today is the increasing lack of technical books and academic texts written in Armenian. These books are either unavailable, becoming outdated, or falling apart due to age. Because of the lack of financial resources, no new books are being written and printed in Armenia to replace and update the old texts. Instead, books written in Russian and English are being used.
As the more technically skilled Armenians continue to leave Armenia, it is likely that technical education will be in English and Russian, and thus the Armenian technical literary base will be lost.
The Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) Research and Education Committee is helping to ameliorate this problem by providing funding to engineers, scientists, and architects in Armenia to author and publish academic books in Armenian.
The Committee, working with the Armenian Ministry of Higher Education and Sciences, has commissioned over forty authors from State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), Yerevan State University (YSU) and Yerevan Institute of Architecture and Construction (YIAC) to publish their books. Over 15 of these books have already been published since 1994. These books have been and are being used by hundreds of students as textbooks in the universities and technology institutes of Armenia.
The funding of these books is provided by generous donors. These books are dedicated to the donors or to their loved ones who are acknowledged as the sponsor of the book on the first page. Today, the cost of writing and publishing 500 copies of a book is from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the number of pages and the amount of artwork.
The following books have already been published by the generous donations of these sponsors:
Theory of Computer Aided Design Systems by Prof. Harutune Terzian. Sponsored by Mr. Art Darian.
Microelectronics by Prof. Vladimir Harutunyan. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Sarkis Barkhoudarian
Leather Manufacturing by Prof. Samvel Harutunyan. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Geodesy by Prof. R.H. Movsisian. Sponsored by the Khudikian Family.
Microwave Technologies by Prof. Vladimir Haroutunian. Sponsored by Mr. Joe Dorian.
Armenians’ Genetics by Prof. Rouben Haroutunian. Sponsored by Ms. Armine Der Hovanisian.
Thermal Power by Prof. Maroukhanian. Sponsored by Mrs. Gohar Tikidjian.
Solid State Physics by Dr. Albert Kiragosian. Sponsored by Dr. Shahen Bogossian.
Evolution Theory by Dr. Nadejda Beglaryan. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Janet Roth.
Computers by Prof. B. Jonpoladyan. Sponsored by the AESA SEUA Alumni Committee (State Engineering University of Armenia).
Heat Transfer Processes by L. Hovanissian, A. Gevorkyan, and A. Galustyan. Sponsored by the AESA SEUA Alumni Committee.
Atomic Plant Heat Byproducts by L. Ghuloyan. Sponsored by the AESA SEUA Alumni Committee.
Twelve other academic books have been sponsored by SEUA and YIAC Alumni Committee of AESA.
The books listed below, sponsored by the following generous donors, have been drafted but not yet published:
Armenian/Caucasian Architecture by Prof. Edward Tigranian. Sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Darian and Dr. and Mrs. Stepan Stepanian.
Microelectroschematics by Prof. Senik Mkrtichyan. Sponsored by Mr. Vanig Godoshian.
Seismic Engineering by Prof. Yuri Safaryan. Needs a sponsor.
Industrial Toxicology by Dr. Emil Babayan. Sponsored by the Saryan Family.
Fiber Optics Networks by Dr. M. Nishanian. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Atoian.
Electrodynamics by Dr. Yuri Vartanyan. Sponsored by Dr. Stepan Ovanessoff.
Liquid Crystal Hydrodynamic Instabilities by Dr. R Akopyan and Dr. Y. Chilingirian. Sponsored by Mr. George Movsessian and Mrs. Nanette Meramedtjian.
Any amount of contribution is welcomed. However, contributions over $1,500 will offer you the opportunity to have a book dedicated to your loved ones and thus immortalize their names. A few copies of the published books are available for sale at $20 each.
Please contact Sarkis Barkhoudarian, Chairman, AESA Research and Educational Grant Projects Committee, at (818) 347-9122 in the evenings to sponsor or buy a book. Or you may mail your tax-deductible donations to AESA, a non-profit, technological, educational organization:
AESA, Inc.
1616 Victory Blvd., Suite 205
Glendale, CA 91201, USA
