maket_N_verjin.qxp


Renowned Graduates of 
Yerevan State University 

The decision to establish a university in Armenia was successfully realized andnow Yerevan State University, having always played an exceptional role in
higher educational system of the Republic of Armenia, stands at the peak of its 90th
anniversary. Being founded at the beginning of the 20th century it gave rise to the
majority of higher educational institutions in Armenia. Today more than 13 000 students
are specializing at 21 faculties. Out of 1200 YSU lecturers 200 have doctoral degrees and
more than 500 are Candidates of Sciences. More than 30 Academicians of NAS of RA
are lecturing at the University. During its 90-year-old fertile history YSU educated a
great number of outstanding scholars, professionally competent and highly skilled
specialists promoting sciences, the Humanities as well as cultural and industrial progress
in the republic. Among them were such notable and remarkable personalities as Gevorg
Jahukian, Edward Aghayan, Edward Jrbashian, Hrachik Simonian, Armenak Mnjoyan,
Sergey Mergelian and many others representing different branches of sciences and the
Humanities.

Gevorg Jahukian (1920-2005) was an outstanding linguist, Doctor of Philological
Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR. For
more than forty years this great scholar immensely contributed to the formation of
Modern Armenian Linguistics, being the initiator and the author of various scientific
achievements. More than twenty voluminous monographs, a great number of articles and
etymological researches, over one hundred and thirty scientific publications are the
striking illustration of his fruitful research work. Jahukian’s contribution to the sphere of

General Linguistics is beyond any appraisal. G.Jahukian
lectured at Yerevan State University for almost half a
century. Under his guidance many young scholars have
defended their Ph.Ds and Doctoral theses.

The great scholar was honoured not only in our country
but also in Europe and the USA. Being a member of
European and American scientific organizations he did his
best to represent the achievements of the Armenian
linguistic school to the international scientific community. In
1997 Gevorg Jahukian was acknowledged as “the
international man of the year” by Cambridge International
Biography Centre.

43

Yerevan State University is 90 Years Old Armenian Folia Anglistika

Gevorg Jahukian



Another great name in the field of linguistics is
Edward Aghayan (1913-1991) - a linguist, Doctor of
Philological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the
Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR.

Ed. Aghayan is the founder of new linguistic trends and
methods in the field of Armenian Studies. His various scientific
works are a great contribution to such branches of linguistics as
general linguistics, history of Armenian linguistics, history and
comparative grammar of the Armenian language, dialectology
and contemporary Armenian. Ed.Aghayan is also an
outstanding lexicographer. His Defining Dictionary of
Contemporary Armenian in two volumes published in 1976 is
still considered to be unique in Armenian lexicography.

Apart from being an outstanding scholar Edward Aghayan was a man of high
principle and was deeply respected by his students and colleagues. He left a huge army
of disciples who successfully continue their teacher’s work in various fields of Armenian
Studies. Most of them are well known scholars today.

Edward Jrbashian (1923-1999) – a literary critic,
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, Academician of
the Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR, a name that will
never be forgotten. 

In 1945 Edward Jrbashian entered Yerevan State
University, the faculty of Armenian Language and
Literature. After graduating he became a post-graduate
student simultaneously lecturing Theory of Literature and
History of Armenian Literature . For a long time
Ed.Jrbashian was the head of the Chair of Theory of
Literature and Aesthetics, later he headed the Chair of
Foreign Literature and Theory of Literature.

Ed. Jrbashian is the author of more than ten books and
250 articles. Most of his publications are devoted to the issues of the theory of literature.
Jrbashian thoroughly studied the peculiarities of the Armenian poem, its syllabic features
and gave its classification. He has a number of valuable researches on Av.Isahakian,
V.Terian, M.Nalbandian, M.Metsarents, D.Varuzhan, R.Sevak, G.Sundukian and
Gh.Alishan - well-known names in Armenian literature. The outstanding scholar has
made a great contribution to the investigation of H. Tumanian’s life and literary career.
Jrbashian newly interprets the artistic peculiarities of Tumanian’s poems and other
works. The great scholar has closely studied the history and theory of the formation and
development of the new Armenian poem, the literary trends of Eastern and Western
Armenian literatures of the 19th and 20th centuries with their variety of genres and
ideology. Jrbashian’s studies devoted particularly to the literary heritage of E.Charents
and A.Bakunts are really noteworthy and valuable. 

44

Armenian Folia Anglistika Yerevan State University is 90 Years Old

Edward Aghayan

Edward Jrbashian



The present review wouldn’t be complete without
mentioning another outstanding personality, a true scholar
and distinguished historian. Hrachik Simonian (born in
1928) is a Doctor of History, Professor, Academician of NAS
of RA.

After graduating from the Faculty of History of Yerevan
State University H.Simonian devoted himself both to scientific
and public activities. In earlier stages of his work the field of
his scientific interests was Armenian Diaspora. The result of
his thorough examinations was the book “ Armenian Diaspora
in its Social-Political Fight”, published in 1968. Since the late
1970s the scholar concentrated on different problems of
Armenology. And after a number of publications his

monograph “ On the History of Turkish-Armenian Relations”(1991) came out, which was
followed by a more profound and valuable work – “ Andranik’s Time”. This work is
absolutely a new word about the life and military career of the national hero. His latest book
is “The Massacre of Armenians in Cilicia (April, 1909)” (2009).

The list of the scientific research works of the well-known scholar is rather impressive
– more than one hundred researches among them twenty books and monographs.

In addition to doing research H.Simonian has lectured at the faculties of History and
Philosophy of YSU and other higher educational institutions of the republic since 1964.
His brilliant reports made in Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi, USA, France, Germany aimed
at befittingly presenting the achievements of the Armenian scientific world. Some of his
researches were published in Czechoslovakia, USA, Lebanon.

Owing to highly qualified scientists, significant
researches related to different scientific branches have
always been carried out in YSU. In the field of chemistry the
name of Armenak Mnjoyan, a Doctor of Chemistry,
Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of
Armenian SSR, is worth mentioning. The main field of
research of this outstanding chemist was the synthesis of
new efficient medicines and the study of their influence
upon the human organism. The talented chemist and
organizer of scientific activities is truly considered to be the
founder of the modern scientific school of synthesis and
research of physiologically active materials. Due to his great
efforts a considerable number of medical substances came
into being and are successfully used for the treatment of cardiovascular, neurological,
infectious and other diseases as well as for the treatment of cancerous growths.

A.Mnjoyan is the author of more than 260 scientific publications a number of
monographs among them. He was not only a scientist devoted to his scientific work but
also a talented teacher. A great number of chemists and pharmachologists are still quided

45

Yerevan State University is 90 Years Old Armenian Folia Anglistika

Hrachik Simonian

Armenak Mnjoyan



by his great scientific ideas. After his death in 1972 Yerevan Institute of Soft Organic
Chemistry was named after Armenak Mnjoyan and was awarded the order of Red
Banner of Labour.

The field of mathematics in Armenia has always had
eminent names that are well known not only in our country
but worldwide. Among such talented mathematicians is
Sergey Mergelian (1928-2008) - Doctor of Physics and
Mathematics, Professor, Academician of the Academy of
Sciences of Armenian SSR.

Sergey Mergelian showed unique mathematical
abilities still at school. In the 8th form he became the winner
of Mathematics and Physics Competition in the Republic.
Some months later he successfully passed the examinations
of the 9th and 10th forms and entered Yerevan State
University which he graduated in three and a half years. In
1949 when 21-year-old Sergey Mergelian was defending his

Ph.D thesis he was unanimously awarded the degree of a Doctor of Physics and
Mathematics. Soon afterwards the talented mathematician proved his well-known
theorem on the polynominal proximity and such expressions as “Mergelian’s theorem”
and “Mergelian’s set” found their stable place in the treasury of Mathematical sciences.

Great is S. Mergelian’s contribution to the establishment and further development
of the internationally acclaimed Armenian scientific school of Mathematics. He also
played an irrefutable role in the spread of computational technique and technology and
cybernetics in the country.

Mergelian was also engaged in pedagogical activity. Numerous mathematicians
were educated by his excellent lectures read at the faculties of Mechanics and
Mathematics and Applied Mathematics of YSU.

In 2008 for his active and fruitful scientific and pedagogical work the outstanding
mathematician was awarded the Medal of St. Mesrop Mashtots.

46

Sergey Mergelian

Armenian Folia Anglistika Yerevan State University is 90 Years Old