Advancing the Heritage of Armenians in Jewellery
AJF Gemology Graduates and Vocational Training Students Receive Diplomas
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day celebration organized by Hay Doun on June 20, 2018, 16 AJF scholarship students received Certificates in Gemology I, II and III courses held in 2017, as well as 4 graduates received full Diplomas in Gemology from the École de gemmologie de Montréal (EGM) -- one of the prime jewellery academies in Canada.
The event also commemorated the success of a special program for Syrian expatriates enrolled in the vocational training program managed by Hay Doun and supported by RBC, in cooperation with AJF. Thanks to this initiative, 18 youths received guidance and financial assistance to pursue vocational training in Montreal in various fields supporting integration.
On this occasion, AJF Chairman Pierre Akkelian stated: “We are proud of our collaboration with Hay Doun aimed at empowering newly arrived Syrian compatriots and we are eternally grateful to the generous support of AJF patrons. We are fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world where corporate leaders such as RBC Quebec president Martin Thibodeau and his wonderful team members now lead by Nadine Renaud Tinker support such great initiatives. Without RBC’s support none of these life-altering accomplishments would have been possible.”
Thanks to the AJF educational program, 122 scholarship grants were allocated to-date to deserving young students in collaboration mainly with the EGM and the Armenian Gemological Laboratory and Academy (AGLA) through the support of a number of generous donors and community organizations.
Hay Doun, a community NGO that settled more than 2700 refugees in Canada through its collective sponsorship programs, launched the Vocational Training Program in September 2016 with the financial support of Royal Bank of Canada – RBC and in cooperation with AJF.
Hay Doun Director Narod Odabashian stated during the event: “The evening was marked by the power of collective efforts and mobilisation in helping young Syrians pursue their educational dreams. As the testimonials of Araz and Nareg conveyed, together we helped them reach their potential. They in turn feel empowered to enrich the lives of many through their professional aspiration and are very thankful! This new host society has just gained 18 youths who will have a tremendous impact on all our lives.”
The event was attended by RBC’s Angie Cefaratti, Michael Catheline, Hasmeeg Apekian who commented and thanked AJF and Hay Doun on the success of this special partnership that generated incredible outcome. Emmanuel Manoukian, Paul Nahabedian from RBC Dominion Securities and Vera Kurkdjian from RBC Private Banking also participated in the celebration. On this occasion, copies of the acclaimed Treasures of Western Armenia catalogue published by AJF and St Petersburg Ethnography museum and recognized as the most important publication dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide was gifted to Hay Doun and EGM.
AJF Announces New Educational Program for 2018 in Matrix Jewellery Design
The Armenian Jewellers Foundation announces new scholarships for Syrian-Armenian expatriates in Matrix Jewellery Design co-sponsored by the world’s leading jewellery company Stuller Inc.. This new program is implemented in collaboration with the École de gemmologie de Montréal (EGM), one of the prime jewellery academies in Canada. The curriculum is dedicated exclusively to the use of the world-renowned Matrix 3-D CAD software, which is the leading tool used to create jewellery designs since 2001.15 new scholarships will be awarded for a customized training course that will take place at EGM from August 7 to 11, 2018. For more information please visit www.AJF.foundation