
Education
Dr. Philosophy, University of Bergen, Norway
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies, NAS, Yerevan
MA, Lund University, Sweden
BA, Yerevan State University, Armenia
Office location
105W, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(+374 60) 61 26 70
Office hours
Mondays 12:00-1:00 pm
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Turkish domestic and foreign policy, Regional Security, Conflicts in the post-Soviet Space
Courses currently taught
- PSIA282 Survey of Regional Politics
- PSIA311 Caucasus Regional Politics
- PSIA324 Security Policy
- PSIA360 Armenian Politics
- PSIA364 Middle East Politics
Research Database IDs
ORCID: 0000-0002-2212-0391
SCOPUS Author ID: 36599336300
Researcher ID-N-4267-2017
Research Activities/Projects
- SCOPE – “Religion and soft power: Religious Communities in the South Caucasus as Objects of External Influences”
- NUPI – “Research Beyond the Ivory Tower: Policy and Communication Training for University Teams”
Selected Publications
Monograph
- “Turkey, Kemalism, and the Soviet Union: Problems of Modernization, Ideology and Interpretation”, New York & London. Palgrave Macmillan 2019.
- “Islam in the Social and Political life of Turkey (1970-2001)”. Yerevan. Limush Press. 2008
Edited Volumes
- Ter-Matevosyan V., Mkrtchyan N. (2021) The Conduct of Armenian Foreign Policy: Limits of the Precarious Balance. In: Brady AM., Thorhallsson B. (eds) Small States and the New Security Environment. The World of Small States, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51529-4_14
- “The policy of Turkey Towards Armenia During the Governing Period of the Justice and Development Party (2002-2012)”. 2020. Yerevan. Zangak. (in Armenian) (with R. Safrastyan, A. Hovhannisyan, T. Manukyan)
- “History of Armenia: Country Survey,” Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2020, 20th edition, ed. Dominic Heaney. London and New York, Routledge. 2019. pp. 57-63.
- “History of Armenia: Country Survey” in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2019, 19th edition, ed. Dominic Heaney, London and New York, Routledge, 2018, 55-61.
- “Turkish Soft Power Politics in Georgia: Making Sense of Political and Cultural Implications”, ed. Ansgar Jodicke in Religion and Soft Power in the South Caucasus, London, Routledge, 2018, 21-41
- “Armenian Foreign Policy: Problems of Institutional Developments” in Armenia’s Foreign Policy: Some Perspectives Stephan Astourian. UC Berkley Armenian Studies Program Occasional Papers. 2016. 55-77 (coauthor Anna Drnoian)
- “Turkish Policy in Georgia: Social and Economic Implications of Integration Projects”, in View Across the Border: Policy and Society in Georgia and Armenia, ed. T. Turmanidze, Tbilisi, BST GMF, 2014, pp. 23-41 (in Russian)
- “Military intervention. Reforms (1980-1995)”, in History of Turkish Republic, ed. R. Safrastyan, Yerevan, Yerevan State University Publication, 2014, pp. 237-277 (in Armenian)
- “Crisis of the Political System. The period of the Justice and Development Party (1996-2011)”, in History of Turkish Republic, ed. R. Safrastyan, Yerevan, Yerevan State University Publication, 2014, pp. 294-354 (in Armenian)
- “Reviewing Armenia’s National Security Strategy: Challenges and Reality” in Conference Proceedings “Regional Security Dynamics In The Caucasus”, Limush Press, Yerevan, 2012, pp. 95-104
Articles in Peer-Reviewed journals
- “Stranded in Geopolitics: The Question of Turkish Armenians in Soviet-Turkish Relations”, Middle Eastern Studies. 2020. vol. 56, no. 4., pp. 626-637 (with Ruben Melkonyan)
- “Navigating between international recognition paradigms: prospects and challenges for Nagorno Karabakh”, Caucasus Survey, 2019, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 181-196 (with Edita Ghazaryan)
- “A Conflict That Did Not Happen: Revisiting The Javakhk Affair In Georgia”, Nations and Nationalism, 2019, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 340-360 (with Brent Currie)
- “Armenia-Turkey border opening: what determines the attitude of Armenians?” Caucasus Survey, 2019, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 25-43 (with A. Grigoryan and K. Khachatryan)
- “Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union: Reasons for Joining and its Consequences”, Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2017, v. 58, no. 3, pp. 340-360 (coauthors A. Drnoian, N. Mkrtchyan, T. Yepremyan)
- “Praying Under Restrictions: Islam, Identity and Social Change in Azerbaijan”, Europe-Asia Studies, 2017, v. 69, no. 5, pp. 819-837 (coauthor – Nelly Minasyan)
- “Turkish Transformation and the Soviet Union: Navigating through the Soviet Historiography on Kemalism”, Middle Eastern Studies, 2017, v. 53, no. 2, pp. 281-296
- “Institutions and Identity Politics in the Armenian Diaspora: The Case Study of Russia and Lebanon”, Diaspora Studies, 2017, v. 10, n. 1, pp. 64-80 (coauthors H. Danielyan, V. Sisserian, N. Kankanyan, N. Shorjian)
- “Track two Diplomacy between Armenia and Turkey: Achievements and Limitations”, Caucasus Analytical Digest, 2016, July, no. 86, pp. 3-6.
- “The Kars-Akhalkalak railway project: Why Armenia Should Revisit its Position”, Turkish Review, 2016, v. 6, no. 3: pp. 130-135.
- “Kemalism and Communism: From Cooperation to Complication”, Turkish Studies, 2015, v. 16, no. 4, pp. 510-526.
- “Turkish Experience with Totalitarianism and Fascism: Tracing the Intellectual Origins”, Iran and the Caucasus, 2015, v. 19, no. 4, pp. 387-401.
- “Armenia and the Ukrainian Crisis: Finding the Middle Ground”. Caucasus Analytical Digest. December 2014, no. 67–68, pp. 14-17.
- “The Rebirth of Turkish Studies in Armenia”, Turkish Review, v. 4, no. 3, 2014, pp. 350-351.
- “Framing National Security Objectives: The Cases of Azerbaijan and Georgia”, Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, v. 13/3, 2013, pp. 325-340
- “The Armenian Community and the AK Party: Finding Trust Under the Crescent”, Insight Turkey, v. 12, no. 4, 2010, pp. 93-111.

Education, Degree
PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Office location
137W PAB
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(+374 60) 61 25 26
Office hours
By appointment
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Political Science, Public Administration, Political Economy, Public Policy
Courses currently taught
- PSIA273 Geopolitics of Europe
- PSIA323 International Governance
- PSIA326 Theories of Globalization
- PSIA371 EU and the World
- PSIA315 Foundations of Public Policy
- CHSS181 Introduction to Sociology
Selected Publications
Books:
- Kenney, John P., Dan G. Pursuit, Donald E. Fuller and Robert J. Barry. Police Work with Juveniles and the Administration Of Justice, Sixth edition. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1980; Seventh edition, 1989; Eighth edition, 1995.
- Lawson, Harry O., H.J.R. Ackerman and Donald E. Fuller, Personnel Administration in the Courts. Boulder, Colorado. Westview Press, 1979.
- Lawson, Harry O., H.R. Ackerman, Jr. and Donald E. Fuller. Personnel Administration in the Courts. Washington, D.C.: The American University, 1978.
Chapters in books:
- “Impact of the 2007-2010 Recession on Central and Eastern Europe and the Solution Dilemma,” in Jurak, A.P. and Pinteric, U. (eds.) (2010), Contemporary World between Freedom and Security, Ljubljana: Zalozba Vega, ISBN 978-961-92951-1-3.
- “Policy Implications for Visegrad Four Countries in Potential Policy Spaces Deriving from Demographic Change as a ‘Systemic Variable,’ in Starovoa, K. and Vass, L. (eds) (2009), Public Policy and Administration: Challenges and Synergies, Bratislava, Slovakia: Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe, ISBN 978-80-89013-43-2.
- “Impact of Recession, 2007-2009, on Central/Eastern Europe and CIS,” in Pinteric, U., et al. (eds), (2009), Global Instability Reflections, Ljubljana:Vega, ISBN: 978-961-92649-3-5.
- “Democracy and Democracy Promotion: World Tendencies and Regional Experiences,” in Sergi, B.S. and Bagatelas, W.T. (eds), (2007), Economic and Political Development Ethics and Beyond, Bratislava: IURA Edition, Spol.s.r.o.
- “Vertical and Horizontal Strains on Administrative and Policy Vectors in Structures Affecting and Affected by Supranational Impacts: The Case of the EU, Its Member States and the World Trade Organization,” in B. Guy Peters, Georg Sootla and Bernadette Connaughton (eds), 2006, Politico-Administrative Dilemma: Traditional Problems and New Solutions, Bratislava, Slovakia: Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe.
- “Analyzing Policy Formulation in the Czech Republic: The Case of the Temelin Nuclear Reactor,” in Bryane Michael, Rainer Kattel and Wolfgang Drechsler, (eds), Enhancing the Capacities to Govern: Challenges Facing the Central and European Countries, Selected Papers from the 11th NISPAcee Annual Conference, Bucharest, Romania 2003, Bratislava: NISPAcee, 2004.
- “Privatization: A Comparative Focus,” in Randall Baker (ed.), Comparative Public Management. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1994.
- “Personnel System Operations in Judicial Administration,” in Steven W. Hays and Cole B. Graham, Jr. (eds). Handbook of Court Administration and Management. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1993.
Articles:
- “Transformation of the Visegrad Four: Potential Ingredients for System Change,” Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, Slovenian Association for Innovative Political Science, Vol. 2, No. 1, January, 2009, ISBN1855-0541, at http://www.sidip-org/iass
- “Professionalizmi I Vidpovidal’nist,” Uriadory: Kurier, May 27, 1993, Kiev, Ukraine.
- Fuller, Donald E. and Dan Pursuit. “Guidelines for Improvement Of the Juvenile Justice System.” The National Sheriff, 31 (4), 1979.
- Harry O. Lawson, Donald Fuller and Nancy B. Elkind. “Education in Judicial Administration.” National Shorthand Reporter, 39 (9), 1978.
- Harry O Lawson, H.R. Ackerman, Jr. and Donald E. Fuller. “Unionizing the Courts.” The Judges Journal, 17 (4), 1978.

Asbed Kotchikian joined AUA after a twelve-year of teaching at the Global Studies Department at Bentley University. Before joining Bentley University he was the Assistant Director of International Affairs Program and assistant professor of Political Science at Florida State University. Between 2000 and 2002, Dr. Kotchikian was a visiting professor in Armenia teaching at Yerevan State University, Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences and the Gyumri branch of Armenian State University of Economics. For nine years (2008-17) he was the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Armenian Review journal. Between 2011 and 2019 Dr. Kotchikian was the academic coordinator of Armenia Higher Education Initiative (AHEI) which organized summer courses in social sciences and humanities methodology retraining for graduate students in Armenia focusing on students from universities outside of Yerevan. During the last 20 years, Dr. Kotchikian has traveled extensively in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey) and former Soviet Union (Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Baltics, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine). He has written, lectured, presented, and organized conferences on foreign policies of small and weak states, questions of identity and diasporas, and regional developments in the Middle East and Eurasia. In recent years his research on minorities has taken him to Iraq (Kurdistan in 2015) and Syria (2014 and 2019). Apart from his academic/scholarly research, he is also a freelance consultant on de-radicalization, civil society and judicial reforms working with organizations such as Council of Europe and the European Union on projects in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. Dr. Kotchikian received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the American University of Beirut (AUB) after which he continued his graduate studies at Boston University obtaining his PhD in 2008 (with a dissertation work on the foreign policy of small states focusing on Georgia and Armenia).
Education
PhD. Boston University
BA American University of Beirut
Areas of Research and Teaching Specialization
Foreign policy making, diasporas, small states in the international system, terrorism, governments and politics in the Middle East and Eurasia.

Yevgenya Jenny Paturyan specializes and has interest in the sphere of civil society, political culture, volunteering, democratization of post-communist countries, research methodology and corruption. She received her PhD in Political Science from Jacobs University Bremen. Prior to joining AUA, she worked at Eurasia Partnership foundation and at Caucasus Research Resource Centers – Armenia. She is the team leader of a four-year research project about Armenian civil society and has authored publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Jenny Paturyan is an AUA PSIA alumna.
Education, Degree
PhD, Jacobs University Bremen
Office location
137W, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(+374 60) 61 26 75
Office hours
Varies depending on teaching schedule. Also by appointment.
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Democracy and Democratization, Civil Society, Corruption, Research Methodology
Courses currently taught
- PSIA344 Public Policy Analysis
- PSIA384 Civil Society and Social Capital
- PSIA310 Comparative Politics
- PSIA101 Introduction to Political Science
Research Activities/Projects
- “Armenian Civil Society after 20 Years of Transition: Still Post-Communist?”
- “Civic Activism as a Novel Component of Armenian Civil Society: New Energy and Tensions”
Publications
- “Re-emerging Civic Activism: Restoring the Ecosystem of Armenian Civil Society” in Civil Society in the Global South, ed. Palash Kamruzzaman, London and New York, Routledge, 2018, 54-70 (coauthor V. Gevorgyan).
- “Armenian Civil Society: It is Not All About NGOs.” Caucasus Analytical Digest 73: 2-5, 2015.
- “Is ‘Googling’ a Technique? What the Internet Can Tell Us about the Non-Governmental Sector in Armenia.” Haigazian Armenological Review 34 (July): 257–67, 2014. (coauthors Valentina Gevorgyan, and Mariam Matevosyan).
- “Trust towards NGOs and Volunteering in South Caucasus: Civil Society Moving Away from Post-Communism?” Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 14 (2): 239-62, 2014 (coauthor V. Gevorgyan).
- “(Dis)Trusting People and Political Institutions in Armenia.” Caucasus Analytical Digest 31: 6-10, 2011.
- Civil Society and Democracy: Disentangling Mutual Influences. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller: Saarbrücken, 2011.
- “Perceptions of Corruption in Armenia: Growing Disappointment and Detachment?” In Adam Hug (ed) Spotlight on Armenia. London: The Foreign Policy Centre. Pp 29-35, 2011 (coauthor Jrbashyan Nairuhi).

Brian A. Ellison is Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at the American University of Armenia. He previously served as Director of the Martin School and founding Chair of the Department of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Idaho, as Chair of the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University, and as Director of Master of Public Administration programs at the University of Idaho, the College of Charleston, and Missouri State University. Professor Ellison has served as a visiting professor at the University of Political Science and Law and at Liaoning Normal University in China, as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Bulgaria, Fulbright Hayes Scholar in Bulgaria and Turkey, as visiting Professor of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University in Russia, and as a higher education consultant for the Open Society to Yerevan State University in Armenia. Dr. Ellison’s research focuses on public administration, local government, and economic development and has appeared in journals and edited volumes, including Policy Studies Journal, Natural Resources Journal, Administration and Society, International Journal of Public Administration, State and Local Government Review, Environmental Management, Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Policy Studies Review, American Review of Public Administration, Public Administration Review, and others. Professor Ellison received his PhD in environmental politics and policy from Colorado State University, and Master of Public Administration, Master of Arts in American Studies, and Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Wyoming.
Education
Ph.D., Colorado State University
Office location
119W, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(+374 60) 61 2674
Office hours
By appointment
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Economic Development, Local Government Administration, Environmental Politics
Courses currently taught
- PSIA345 Development Policy and Strategy
- PSIA352 Economics for Political Science

Vache Gabrielyan specializes in public administration and economics. He studied at the Yerevan State University and received his Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration from Rutgers University. He has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia (2008-2010), Minister of Finance (2010-2012), Minister-Chief of Government Staff (2013-2014), Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister (May – November 2014), as well as the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, and the Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms (2014-2018). Effective January, 2019 Dr. Vache Gabrielyan has been appointed as Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (CBE). Dr. Vache Gabrielyan is the author of a number of scientific papers published in Armenia and abroad.
Education
PhD, Rutgers University
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Public Administration, Public Policy, Research Methods
Courses currently taught
PSIA 340 Introduction to Public Administration
Selected Publications
Books and Symposia:
- Red Tape from Red Square: Bureaucratic Commentary in Soviet Graphic Satirical Art, with Marc Holzer, Iryna Illiash and Lyudmila Kuznetsova, National Sector for Public Productivity, 2010.
- “Bureaucracy on the Silver Screen: A World-Wide Perspective.” Co-editor: Marc Holzer, Public Voices, Vol. 4, No. 2 (2000).
- “Post-Soviet Bureaucracy: Change and Continuity,” Co-editor: Marc Holzer, special issue of the International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 22, No. 1, 1999.
Articles (Peer Reviewed Journals):
- “Discourse in Comparative Policy Analysis: Privatization Policies in Britain, Russia and the United States,” Policy and Society, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2006, pp. 47-75.
- “The Origins and Transformation of Policy Ideas: Case study: Education Law of Armenia’, with Gayane Selimyan, NISPAcee Occassional Papers,Volume IV – No. 3 Summer 2003.
- “Investing in Corporate Securities: Prospects in Armenia,” with Gnel Sahakyan, Information Technologies and Management, No. 2, 2002, pp. 212-225 (in Armenian).
- “The Rise and Fall of Soviet Screen Bureaucrat,” Public Voices, 2000. Vol. 4, No. 2, Spring 2000, pp. 61-72.
- “Post-Communist Bureaucracies: Organizational Modes of Transition,” International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 22, No. 1, 1999, pp. 69-99.
- “Public Administration in Ancient China: Practice and Theory,” Public Voices, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 1996, pp. 25-44.
Chapters and Book articles:
- “Challenges of Economics and Armenian Economy,” in Yerevan State University Department of Economics Yearbook, Yerevan: YSU Publishing, 2013, pp. 5-11 (in Armenian).
- “Introduction” and “Government Regulation of Banking,” in Asatryan, Bagrat (ed.) Banking, Second edition, Yerevan: Gir Publishers, 2013, pp. 16-22 and 443-458 (in Armenian).
- Vache Gabrielyan and Gayane Selimyan, “Public Management Reforms: Armenia,” in Bouckaert Geert, Nemec Juraj, Nakrosis Vitalis, Hajnal Gyorgy, Tonnisson Kristiina (Eds.) Public Management Reforms in Central and Eastern Europe. NISPAcee Press, Bratislava, 2009, pp. 27-50.
- “Qualitative Research Methods: An Overview,” with Kaifeng Yang and Susan Spice, in Gerald J. Miller and Kaifeng Yang (eds.). Handbook of Research Methods in Public Administration, New York: Second edition, New York: CRC Press, 2007, pp. 141-171.
- “Five Great Ideas of American Public Administration,” with Marc Holzer, and Kaifeng Yang in Rabin, Jack, Hildreth, W. B. and Gerald J. Miller (eds.). Handbook of Public Administration, Third edition, New York: CRC Press, 2007, pp. 49-103.
- “Comparative and International Administration,” with George M. Guess, in Rabin, Jack et al. (eds.), Handbook of Public Administration, Third edition, New York: CRC Press, 2007, pp. 565-605.
- “Capital Account Liberalization Experiences in Armenia,” with Armine Khachatryan, in Bakker, Age F.P. and Bryan Chapple (eds). Capital Liberalization in Transition Countries: Lessons from the Past and for the Future. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2003.
- International Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Administration. Jay Shafritz, Editor-in-Chief. Harper-Collins/Westview Press. 1998. Author/co-author of the following entries:“Outsourcing,” pp. 1590-1596.
“Cost-Effectiveness Analysis,” pp. 563-566. - “Reforming Eastern European Bureaucracy: Does American Experience Apply?” with Frank Fischer, in Asmerom, Haile K. and Reis E. (eds.) Democratization and Bureaucratic Neutrality: Experience From Developed and Third World; London: MacMillan; New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996, pp. 109-127.
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(+374 60) 61 26 10
Office location
222W (PAB)
Office hours
By appointment

Arpie Balian specializes in public administration, policy planning and development. She studied at the American University of Beirut, American University in Washington, D.C., and received her doctorate in policy, planning and development from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining AUA, she has taught in various institutions in Armenia and abroad and also has served as director of planning, budget, and evaluation in the U.S. government. Dr. Arpie Balian is the author of numerous studies and publications on policy analysis, evaluation and development. Her current studies include Globalization and national identity; Motivations of individuals to run for office, and Social impact of migration.
Title
Adjunct Lecturer
Education, Degree
PhD, University of Southern California
Email
abalian@aua.am
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Local government / development / governance
Research methods; Policy and program evaluation; Development
Course(s) currently taught
- PSIA348 Policy & Program Evaluation
Research Activities/Projects
- Key Drivers of Public Trust in Developing Nations (current)
- The National Identity Debate (current)
- The Role of Armenian Women in a Globalized World (current)
Conference presentations
- 3rd Tempus, International Conference: Strategic Management of Human Resources, October 2016 (Moderator)
- 3rd AAWH International Conference: U.S. Declaration of Independence, 240, October 2016. (Presenter: An Interpretation of the Preamble of the U.S. Declaration of Independence Using the Writings of John Locke)
- 7th AIWA International Conference, 2014 (Panel Moderator and Presenter of paper on Women in Policy Making in a Globalized World)
- AUA Women’s Entrepreneurship Conference, 2012 (Conference Organizer & Principal Moderator)
Publications
- EU Launching Conference & Partnership Forum, Constanta, Romania Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020, July 2016
- World Bank-Mission Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia Symposium on Strengthening the Livelihood of Vulnerable Populations, June 2016
- Summative Evaluation of the WB-funded Strengthening the Livelihood and Voice of Poor and Vulnerable People in Armenia (proprietary), May 2016
- Evaluation of the UNDP Innovation for Development and ATI through Social Innovation Projects (proprietary), May 2016
- Evaluation of the UNDP Community Development Project (proprietary). Formative Evaluation of UNDP Building Resilient Communities Program (proprietary), May 2016
- Armenian General Benevolent Union Convention, March 2015 Panelist: Nation-State Building
- The Concept of Clustering in Development: Challenges and Benefits (Commissioned Study), 2010.
- Summative Evaluation of Rural Program for Children with Special Needs, Mission East (Commissioned Study), 2009.
- The Challenges of the Millennium Development Goals for Developing Nations, UNESCAP 2008.
- The State of Income and Employment Generation Programs within Millennium Development Goals, 2007.
- Measuring Development Progress, UNESCAP 2007.
- Clustering in Rural Development: A New Model for Optimizing Use of Resources and Community Assets, 2006.
- Strategic Management in a Performance-Based Organization, USC 2005.
- Does Changing the Examination Process Affect Pendency: A Formative Process Evaluation, USPTO, 2004.
- The Impact of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 on U.S. Civil Service, USPTO, 2003.
- Does a New Form of Governance Change Management Attitudes in the Civil Service, Commissioned White Paper, USPTO, 2002.
- Would Performance-Based Management Work in the Public Sector? USPTO, 2002.
- Re-engineering the Federal Budget Process, USDOC, 1998.
- A New Approach for Improving USG Procurement. USDOC, Washington, D.C., 1996.
- Budgeting for GPRA: Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs Less. USDOC, Washington, D.C., 1995.
- Toward a New Accountability Framework in the Third Sector. Commissioned study, ARS Inc., 1991.

Arthur Drampian is Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has been affiliated with AUA since 1998. Dr. Drampian’s primary areas of interest are decentralization and local governance, public finance and budgeting, local economic development, environmental policy, public participation in government decision-making. Arthur Drampian holds PhD degree in Biology from Moscow State University (1987) and Master’s degree in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, Massachusetts (1997). Dr. Drampian’s publications on municipal finance and local government issues were published in Armenia and foreign journals.
Education, Degree
MA, Brandeis University
PhD, Moscow State University
Office location
108W, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Email
[email protected]
Office hours
Saturday, 11-12 am
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Public finance, local governance, intergovernmental finance, decentralization policy, environmental science and policy, development policy and practice, sustainable development
Courses currently taught
- PSIA 343 Public Finance and Budgeting
- PSIA 347 Environmental Science

Hovhannes Nikoghosyan specializes in global order and international security, and has keen interest and research experience in human rights and armed conflicts, international criminal responsibility for erga omnes crimes, as well as Responsibility to Protect. He is a graduate of the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University with MA in International Relations and PhD in Political Science (2011). Before joining AUA in January 2015, he worked as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington DC), Magdalena Yesil Visiting Scholar at Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University (Durham, NC) and has completed an Advanced Certificate Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (Medford, MA). Between May 2017 and April 2018 he served as Aide to the President of the Republic of Armenia. Dr. Nikoghosyan is author of a number of peer-reviewed papers and expert reports published in Armenia and abroad.
Education, Degree
PhD, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (2011)
Visiting Scholar, Duke University (2012-13)
Advanced Certificate Program in Public Administration, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2014)
Office location
108W, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Email
[email protected]
Office hours
Weds, 10-11am, by appointment
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Human rights in armed conflicts, international security, strategic communications, Responsibility to Protect
Courses currently taught
PSIA320 International Relations
PSIA335 International Conflicts in XXI Century
PSIA336 Foreign Policy Analysis
PSIA 367 Government, Politics and the Media
Research Activities/Projects
“Foreign policy-making in parliamentary republics: The case of the Republic of Armenia” – AUA Faculty Research Grant (2016-17)
Selected publications
- “Great Power Interventions and the Future of Responsibility to Protect”, Valdai Paper #74, August 2017.
- “Armenia after 25 years of Independence: Maintaining Stability in an Unpredictable Neighborhood”, Russian International Affairs Council, December 2016 (book chapter). (Available in AUA Library)
- “Government failure, atrocity crimes and the role of the International Criminal Court: why not Syria, but Libya”, The International Journal of Human Rights, Published online: 30 Sep 2015. DOI:10.1080/13642987.2015.1082838
- “Global problems for global governance”, Valdai Club Report Series, September 2014. (co-authored)
- The Upheavals in Libya and Syria, and Their Impact on “Responsibility to Protect” Doctrine, Turkish Policy Quarterly, Volume 12(1), Spring 2013.
- How to move forward in Nagorno Karabakh after the Four Day War, ELIAMEP Briefing Notes 48/ 2016.
PSIA Former Faculty

Simon R. Clarke specializes in political philosophy and the history of political thought. He studied at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and received his doctorate from Oxford University. Before joining AUA, he taught at the University of Canterbury (NZ) and Asian University for Women (Bangladesh) and has also been a visiting scholar at Princeton University. He is the author of Foundations of Freedom: Welfare-Based Arguments Against Paternalism (Routledge, 2012) as well as articles published in the Journal of Political Philosophy, Political Studies, Ethical Perspectives, and Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.
Education, Degree
MA, University of Auckland
DPhil, University of Oxford
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Political Theory, History of Political Thought
Courses currently taught
PSIA300 Western Political Thought
PSIA383 Contemporary Political Philosophy
PSIA385 Global Justice
PSIA201 Political Philosophy
Publications
Book: Foundations of Freedom: Welfare-Based Arguments Against Paternalism (New York and Oxford: Routledge 2012).
Recent Articles
- ‘Mill, Liberty, and Euthanasia’ Philosophy Now, Oct/Nov 2015, p. 12-13.
- ‘Consequential Neutrality Revivifiedʼ, in Daniel Weinstock and Roberto Merrill (eds.) Political Neutrality: A Re-evaluation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
- ʻA Trust-Based Argument Against Paternalismʼ, in Pekka Makela and Cynthia Townley, editors, Trust: Analytic and Applied Perspectives (New York: Editions Rodopi, 2013).
- ʻProphylactic Neutrality, Oppression, and the Reverse Pascalʼs Wagerʼ, Ethical Perspectives, 19/2, 2012, pp. 527-535.
Personal webpage
https://sites.google.com/site/simonclarkewebsite/

Dr Gurgen Aslanyan has served as an adjunct lecturer at the American University of Armenia since 2016. Currently he is a Teaching Fellow at CERGE-EI Prague and a Researcher at the Economics Laboratory of the Ural Federal University. Prior to that he has been teaching (classroom, seminars, trainings) in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Georgia, Russia, the UK, and the US. Dr Aslanyan is a Development Economist with a focus on policy evaluation. Over the years he has consulted private and public sector, such as the Central Bank of Armenia, and as a researcher has been affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and the Czech Academy of Sciences. Dr Gurgen Aslanyan has presented his research and published internationally, is a recipient of various awards, and currently is elected to serve as the President of the Armenian Economic Association.
He holds dual doctorate degree from the Charles University in Prague and the University of the State of New York.
Education:
- PhD in Economics, CERGE-EI and Charles University
- MA in Economics, CERGE-EI
- BSc in Economics, Yerevan State University
Courses taught:
- PSIA 352-Economics for Political Science
- Bus 233-Public Finance
- Econ 228-Economics of Development
- Econ 225-International Economics
- Econ 229-Special Topics (Policy Evaluation)
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Areas of research: Public Economics, Population Economics, Economics of Reforms, Economics of Education
Areas of teaching: Economic Development and Growth, Labour Economics, Micro- and Micro-Economics, Public Economics, Inernational Economics
Research projects:
- Non-Selective Migration and Unfunded Public Pensions: Can They Coexist?
- Melting Pot v Cultural Mosaic: Dynamic Public Finance Approach
- Financial Literacy and Behaviour: Quasi-Experimental Study (with Derdzyan and Mkhitaryan)
- Multinationals, Competition and R&D investments (with Torosyan and Levonyan)
- Bank Reforms and Real Economy: Utilising Synthetic Controls
Published research:
- Migration Challenge for PAYG, Journal of Population Economics, doi: 10.1007/s00148-014-0516-x
Awards and honours:
- Alumni Hero Award, CERGE-EI, 2016
- Armen Alchian Award, Armenian Economic Association, 2014
- Best Paper Prize, Warsaw International Economic Meeting, 2011
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +37460 61 26 04
Office location: 236W(PAB)

Aleksandr Grigoryan has a PhD from University of Turin and a Master Diploma from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, both from the economics field. Starting in 2009, he has worked at the Research Department in the Central Bank of Armenia and has been teaching at the American University of Armenia (AUA), School of Political Science and International Affairs. Since April 2012, he has been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the College of Business and Economics and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the American University of Armenia. Dr. Grigoryan has served as the chair of the Master of Business Administration program, at the College of Business and Economics from 2014-2020.
Aleksandr Grigoryan is very active in research and publishes in peer-reviewed journals regularly. He has publications in Journal of Income Distribution and Eastern European Economics, among others. His research covers topics from development economics such as income distribution, migration, transformation of industry structure etc. Dr. Grigoryan has solid research consultancy experience, working with international and Armenian research organizations.
Aleksandr Grigoryan is an Affiliate Fellow of CERGE-EI since 2013. He is a board member of the Armenian Economic Association (AEA) and served as the AEA president in 2015-2017.
Education:
- Ph.D in Economics, University of Turin, Italy, 2005 – 2008
- Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) in Vienna, Austria, 2003 – 2005
- Yerevan State University of Economics, Armenia, 1996 – 2004
- Post graduate study, 2001 – 2004
- Graduate study, 1996 – 2001, Diploma in Economics (with Hobor)
Courses taught:
Publications:
- Armenia-Turkey border opening: what determines the attitude of Armenians? (with Knar Khachatryan and Vahram Ter-Matevosyan), Caucasus Survey, 6/3, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/
23761199.2018.1499298 - Performance and capital structure of microfinance institutions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with Knar Khachatryan (AUA) and Valentina Hartarska (Auburn University). Eastern European Economics, 2017, 55:5, 395-419, DOI: 10.1080/00128775.2017.1336064
- A model with indivisible investments in different environments. Armenian Economic Journal, 2015, Volume 1 [http://aea.am/journal.html].
- A model for anocracy, Journal of Income Distribution, Volume 23/1, 2013.
- Remittances and emigration intentions: evidence from Armenia, with Knar Khachatryan (AUA). CERGE-EI WPS626, ISSN 1211-328, October 2018.
- Positional concerns and Social capital: evidence from South Caucasus, with Armenak Antinyan (Tianjin University of Finance and Economics) and Vardan Baghdasaryan (AUA). CERGE-EI WPS625, ISSN 1211-3298, September 2018.
- Multidimensional poverty in Armenia, with Pundarik Mukhopadhaya (Macquarie University). Forthcoming in ADB Economics WP Series, 2018.
- Inclusive economic development in Armenia, with Vardan Baghdasaryan (AUA). Good Jobs for Inclusive Growth in Central and West Asia; ADB, 2015-2017. Forthcoming in ADB Economics WP Series.
- Employment and labor market policies in Armenia, with Vardan Baghdasaryan (AUA). Good Jobs for Inclusive Growth in Central and West Asia; ADB, 2015-2017. Forthcoming in ADB Economics WP Series.
- Armenia: Income Gaps. World Policy Journal, (2015) 32(1): 3-11 [short article].
- Migration and power. EERC WP 15-03E, 2015.
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- The effects of the exchange rate on exports: the case of Armenia, with Gor Khachatryan (RA Ministry of Economic Development and Investments).
- Interaction between income inequality and monetary policy: theory and evidence, with Hayk Sargsyan (Central Bank of Armenia).
- Compulsory versus Voluntary Savings as Incentive Mechanism in Microlending Contracts: theory and evidence, with Knar Khachatryan (AUA), Oliver Bruno (SKEMA) and Roy Mersland (University of Agder).
- Performance and Capital Structure of Microfinance Institutions: spatial patterns, with Knar Khachatryan and Valentina Hartarska (Auburn University).
- Social expenditures and multidimensional poverty: evidence from the Armenian Household Survey Data, with Pundarik Mukhopadhaya (Macquarie University).
- Seasonal versus permanent migration: common patterns in South Caucasus, with Sona Kalantaryan (European University Institute) and Armenak Antinyan (Tianjin University of Finance and Economics).
- Testing monetary policy: Discretion versus Commitment, with Narek Ohanyan (University of Pompeu Fabra).
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +37460 61 26 14
Office location: 205W (PAB)
Website: algrigoryan.weebly.
CV: Download

Lucig Danielian served as Associate Professor of Graduate School of Political Science and International starting from 1995 and starting from 1999 she served as Associate Dean. From 1996 she has also served as Associate Director at the Center for Policy Analysis. Later she served as Associate Dean from January 1st, 2000 to December 31st, 2004 and served as Dean from January 2005 to December 2007. She continued to serve as the Dean of PSIA in addition to VP and Provost from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2011.

Dr. Khatchik DerGhugassian served as a Visiting Professor at AUA from 2004 to 2013. He instructed the following courses: PS 500 Western Political Thought and PS 510 Comparative Political Systems.

Lusine Galajyan served as Adjunct Lecturer specializing on International Conflict Resolution and Negotiations. Ms. Galajyan taught at PSIA between 2004 and 2011.

Dr. Syuzanna Vasilyan specialized in international relations theories, international organizations, foreign policy analysis, decision-making and external relations of the European Union.
Dr. Vasilyan served as Assistant Professor and Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies in the Political Science and International Affairs program, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, American University of Armenia (2011-2015).

Douglas Shumavon served as the Dean from March 1st, 2000 to December 31st, 2003. Later, he served as the Interim Dean from September 11, 2011. Then served as Program Chair from July 1st, 2012 to June 30, 2014.

Education
Ph.D., European University Institute, Florence
M.A., University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
B.A., University of Heidelberg, Germany
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Economic policy coordination, global and regional governance, the external relations of the European Union
Courses taught
- PSIA303 Research Methods in Political Science
- PSIA312 Trade Politics
- PSIA352 Economics for Political Science
Selected Publications
- Co-ordination in Context – Institutional Choices to Promote Exports, Revivals Series, Routledge, London and New York,2018
- ‘Striking a balance? Comparative and International Political Economy in Times of Crisis’, in E. Baroncelli and R. Mulé et al. (ed.) Political Responses to the Economic Crisis, Milan: Egea, pp. 63-96, 2017
- ‘Global Political Economy’ in Stephen McGlinchey (ed.) International Relations: A Beginner’s Guide, E-IR Publishing, Bristol, chapter 8, pp. 87-97, 2016
- ‘Problem-solving European style? The Challenges and Opportunities of Multi-level Governance in Ukraine’, Public Policy and Economic Development 6 (2), pp. 43 – 57, 2014
- ‘European Governance and Transformation in Ukraine’, in Josette Baer (ed.) From Post-Communism toward the Third Millennium (Interdisciplinary Studies on Central and Eastern Europe 7), Peter Lang, Bern, pp. 29 – 58, 2011
- ‘Comparative Constitutionalism and Democratisation: Has Africa Anything to Learn from Europe?’, Naukovi Praci: Politologia 122 (109), Black Sea National University, pp. 67 – 80, Mykolayiv, 2010
- European Governance: Policy Making between Politicisation and Control, Routledge, London and New York, 2006
- ‘The Maintenance of Executive Capacity in Germany: Revisiting the Annual Budget of the European Union’, Public Administration 79 (2), pp. 383 – 401, 2001.
- ‘The Doubtful Handshake – From International to Comparative Political Economy?’, in James N. Rosenau et al. (eds) Strange Power: Shaping the Parameters of International Relations and International Political Economy, Ashgate, Aldershot, pp. 369 – 389, 2000

Nikol Shahgaldian had been the first Dean of PSIA, and served until December 31, 1999.