New scholarships will enable Armenian-American students to study in Turkey, a gesture prompted by diplomatic progress made by two long-feuding countries.
The scholarships for 100 American students of Armenian descent will finance a semester at any Turkish or Turkish Cypriot university. In return for the $2,000 provided each student, the scholarship sponsors with the Turkish Coalition of America seek potentially priceless benefits.
“We hope to encourage dialogue between Turks and Armenians, so that future generations won’t have the burden of this animosity,” coalition president Lincoln McCurdy said Monday. “The shared history of both cultures has been overshadowed by hostility for far too long.”
The new scholarships could prove particularly enticing in regions like the San Joaquin Valley, home to tens of thousands of Armenian Americans. California State University, Fresno hosts both an Armenian Studies Program and the nationwide Society for Armenian Studies, which spans many campuses.
Each year, roughly 10 Fresno State students graduate with a minor in Armenian Studies, and dozens more take history, arts and language courses through the program.
mercedsunstar.com
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