NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA

NUACA Yerevan Secondary Vocational Education College / formerly State Construction College named after Al. Tamanyan/ is 92 years old. A respectable age which passed adolescence, active creative life and has a rich biography.

In 1921 the apologists of engineering mind of the Armenian people initiated to create the first technical education institution that received government approval and on 29 November 1921 Yerevan Industrial Technical College was founded by decision of Sovnarkom (the Council of National Commissioners).

Our creative and building people who had not yet celebrated the first year of their statehood right embarked on creating the first forge for secondary vocational personnel training. This was not a random choice of profession. Thousands of years ago when our nation’s birth certificate was being written, it was given name and surname: Armenian Builder.

N 49 Firdus street, here is the first address of the technical school; the once unsightly, two-bedroom house with a basement where a woodworking workshop was placed. A small house, but major problems, great victories, this was the motto of the newly created education institution the spirit and organizer of which was Alexander Melikyan, the first director. With great efforts in lack of personnel he was able to bring together the specialists meeting the requirement of the time in a short period. The first representatives of the pedagogical staff of the newly established technical school were Sofia Asatur, Mikayel Varuntcyan, Khachatur Kananyan, Baghadur Baghadryan, Fridon Aghayan, Iskuhi Khorozyan, Levon Aslanyan, Armenak Muradyan and Taragros Ter Vardanyan. The number of students during 1921/22 academic year was 52 people; most of them were orphans from orphanages.

In 1930s a squad of graduates included Union and Republican prominent figures, apologists of science and technology Samvel Safaryan, Hovik Margaryan, Academician, Head of Problem Mechanics Department of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Chairman of Supreme Council Nagush Harutyunyan, Professors of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute Varazdat Harutyunyan, Artashes Mamijanyan, writer, Laureate of State Prize Anahit Sahinyan, Head of Aerodynamics Chair of Moscow Air Force Academy named after Zhukovski, Doctor-Professor Rafik Mezhlumyan, Architect Hovhannes Hakobyan, Deputy Minister of Gas Industry of the Soviet Union Rudolf Asatryan, Doctor-Professor Petros Ter Petrosyan, Executive Director of “Yerevanshin” CJSC Vazgen Poghosyan and many worthy people who were the students of construction technical school. Since 1950 the construction technical school has had a great rise. Today we are proud to mention the names of graduates of those years, four-time champion of World and Olympic Games in Pentathlon Igor Novikov, Foreign and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Soviet Union R.Ohanjanyan, lecturers of Architecture and Construction University Sh.Gevorgyan, Al. Aleksanyan, A.Yepoyan and many deserving names. From 1953 the Construction technical school was renamed by Academician Aleksandr Tamanyan. In 1973 it moved to a typical school building with 1176 seats in Nor Nork 5^th District where the conditions were much better.

The technical college had great achievements which have the merits of directors Aram Korkotyan, Mikael Markosyan, Karen Pahlevanyan, Marat Tchughuryan, Tigran Petrosyan, Petros Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Khachatryan and Anahit Hovhannisyan who have worked tirelessly for the prosperity of the beloved education institution. A special place is occupied by Robert Khachatryan who not only contributed to the progress of technical school but also was able to maintain the spirit and soul of the hearth in gloomy and dark years heading the college for 26 years.

Also, the role of department heads Asya Hakobyan, Nelli Barseghyan, Varazdat Hakobyan and Albert Gabrielyan in education improvement of the technical school is not less. This working period was highly appreciated by the union and republican governments. Yerevan Construction Technical School also responded to the disaster occurred on 7 December 1988 every day leaving for Gyumri with humanitarian aid. A squad consisting of 20 students stayed there for about 2 months and during summer holidays 60 students left for Leninakan as a construction squad who refused to get salary and transferred it to the social fund of earthquake victims. Our staff has also its contribution in Artsakh Liberation Struggle which through donation transferred a large sum to Stepanakert. 5 college students became immortal in the battlefields.

In 1990 by decisions of the ASSR Council of Ministers and the USSR Ministry of High and Secondary Education the status of Yerevan Construction Technical School named after Al.Tamanyan was changed to Construction College named after Academician Al. Tamanyan. From 14 October 2004 a distinguished lecturer of the college Anahit Hovhannisyan was appointed as a director. Lecturing for about 24 years and being the spirit and energy of the college Anahit Hovhannisyan was able to aim the college development at educational improvements in a short period of time. The vivid proof of this is a new strategic education program since the current market is different and has its own demand. The application necessity of new learning approaches is considered in the whole world. This is evidenced by Lisbon, Copenhagen and Bologna agreements. For this purpose curriculum review, teaching staff training and raising of quality of English language and computer courses have been conducted in the college. A module was created for finishing works and training activities were organized with this module.

For ensuring completeness of multiple quality repair works were carried out in the college to create favorable conditions for the students, as well as great attention was paid to signing new contract with the employers and quality assurance of practical trainings.

During her management college director A. Hovhannisyan was honored with the highest award of RA Ministry of Education and Science “Gold Medal”, as well as RA Prime Minister’s Certificate of Appreciation.

The main objective of the college activities is to provide services that are related to today’s needs of the country and its further development which form professional skills and abilities. We attach importance to the improvement of environment, as well as to the purity of soul and moral responsibility. One of our mottos is: “Be the owner of your right, but do not forget your responsibilities.”

The history of college fills the souls of those people with sense of pride who were more or less involved in the college activities. Its graduates of all years fulfilled their obligations with a great sense of duty upholding the honor of their school where they received the first baptism of the builder.

According to No 1577-N decision of RA Government dated 20.11.2007 Yerevan State Construction college named after Al. Tamanyan SNCO was restructured and joined to “Yerevan State University of Construction and Architecture” SNCO aiming to follow the continuous education of Bologna Agreement. Distinguished and young lecturers, as well as skilled administrative staff are working in the college who spare no effort to communicate to the students the relevant skills to meet life’s new challenges and be competitive in the labor market.

The best graduates will have the opportunity to continue their education from the 2^nd year of relevant specialty of NUACA and if desired to study in MА and postgraduate courses. The college is a unit of NUACA and is under the leadership NUACA Rector Gagik Galstyan.