Izmirlian Charitable Foundation to support renovation of YSU Library entrance hall

Along with financial support, the Izmirlian Foundation places a special focus on creating a modern educational environment. The foundation’s planned donation of $500,000 for this project will fund the renovation of the library's entrance hall on the first floor, the modernization of the lighting system, and the installation of a glass-covered roof, creating an innovative, contemporary, and inspiring space for students, academic staff, and researchers.

YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, welcoming the support of the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation, expressed his gratitude to the Izmirlian family and the foundation for making the realization of the project possible. 

"Today, we are launching an initiative that we have long awaited. Every great endeavor begins with a dream. We had this dream, we formulated it, and we put it on paper. Today, we are seeing the result. One of the key components of the project’s implementation is also the furnishing, which YSU has taken responsibility for. We are working on this as well," Hovhannes Hovhannisyan noted, adding that the grand opening of the first floor of the library will be held with great pomp this year. 

According to the rector, these efforts aim to ensure that students spend most of their time in the library, organizing their studies, reading, and scientific work in a modern environment.  

Armen Chobanyan, the Country Director of the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation, emphasized the importance of this bilateral cooperation, saying, "We view this as a result of joint work, a continuation of the process we started with Yerevan State University. We see that the university is continuously making changes, which is very important for the development of our country."

Chobanyan highlighted that such collaborations are long-term and crucial steps for the development of Armenia's educational and scientific environment.

As one of the best friends of YSU Library and a major supporter of large-scale projects, the Izmirlian Foundation’s donation will expand the role of the library, transforming it into not just a space for reading but also a multi-functional environment for discussions, seminars, and scientific research. The library's entrance hall will become a platform where innovative ideas and creative discussions will be combined with the continuous development of teaching and research.

On the occasion of the library's 105th anniversary, the library’s Director, Avetik Mejlumyan, presented a book-album by Armenian miniaturist Minas to the guests.

It is noteworthy that the library currently holds around 1.5 million items. In parallel with the technological transformations, the library’s collections are being enriched by all possible means, including state allocations, book exchanges, grants, and donations. The library is being supplemented with modern literature and collections from various fields (e.g., from the collections of Galust Gyulbekyan (4,400 items), H. Takesyan (2,800 items), A. Sakharov (1,200 items)).  

YSU scientific library has been named after Sarkis and Marie Izmirlian since October 7, 1997. Their son, Tigran Izmirlian, is a National Hero of Armenia, and their grandson, Sarkis Izmirlian, is the Director of the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation. He also holds the title of Honorary Doctor of YSU.

Thus, the cooperation between YSU and the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation highlights important initiatives that contribute to the advancement of education and science, which will later support the intellectual development of Armenian students, scientists, and researchers.

Below are the photographs of the renovation project for the entrance hall of YSU Library named after Sarkis and Marie Izmirlian.