House Approves Creation of Monmouth University Armenian Institute

Washington, D.C. --- The U.S. House of Representatives last night approved the creation of an Armenian Institute at Monmouth University, said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). The New Jersey congressman requested $500,000 in federal funding for the establishment of the Institute, as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

Pallone, co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, envisions the Armenian Institute as an ideal place to connect Monmouth University with the Armenian community both here in New Jersey and back in Armenia.

The Institute will also provide opportunities to Armenian graduate students to further their education in the United States by studying at Monmouth University. The Institute will include a fast-tracked Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program for 10 students from Armenia. The idea is to encourage market reforms in Armenia, which in the past was a controlled economy under Soviet rule.

"New Jersey is home to a very large Armenian-American population, and I'm confident Monmouth University's Armenian Institute will foster greater appreciation of a culture steep in tradition and history," Pallone said. "Armenia continues to suffer from economic hardships and it is important to educate future economic leaders who are pro-west and can help the situation there."

Last night, the House included the project as part of U.S. Agency for International Development's (AID) United States University Support for Developing Countries program for the upcoming year. The Monmouth University Armenian Institute and 44 other university projects were approved for funding as part of this program, which strives to advance international development through our universities.

Pallone said the exact funding levels for the project will not be announced until later this year when a conference committee comes together to reconcile separate foreign operations bills passed in the House and the U.S. Senate. A conference committee will not be able to meet until after the Senate passes a foreign operations bill later this summer. The New Jersey congressman said he would fight to ensure the Armenian Institute receives full funding from House and Senate conferees.