YEREVAN, MARCH 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The construction of a new annex, which started in the territory of the garden near the American University of Armenia, will be finished this autumn, and the students will start the new academic year in new and comfortable lecture rooms, laboratories, and research centers. As Haroutiun Armenian, the Chairman of the University, said in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent, the opening ceremony of the new annex is likely to take place after the graduation ceremony of University students, at which Diasporan benefactors will be also present. Haroutiun Armenian said that the new annex will mainly serve for classes and the main building will be used for purely administrative purposes. Mr Armenian said that building's outer and inner construction, laying of communications is being simultaneously carried out at present. The development of the garden near the annex has also started. The University jointly with the Armenian Forests NGO will organize a tree planting, benches and lights will be placed. The University will assume the further care and keeping of the newly created park, as well as pedestrians' path through the garden will be restored. "With the construction of this building we will expand the University's foreign programs for even more," the institution's Chairman said adding that the American University will also promote activity in neighboring countries. Besides, the University has already opened correspondence course centers in various towns of Armenia and Artsakh, including Gyumri, Ijevan, Stepanakert. At present the University has nearly 400 students, 25 out of which are citizens of Iran, China, the United States, Russia, Syria, and Canada.

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