ICARE - International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education

		The Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC) was established in August 2000 with an agreement between the Armenian Agricultural Academy (AAA), Texas A&M University and USDA-MAP. The first group of Twenty-eight AAA students were selected for the first year to study at the ATC. Thirty juniors joined next year, among them the first two students from the Republic of Georgia.
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		The first U.S university professors sent to Armenia to teach and advise at the ATC were: Dr. Daniel Dunn, ATC Director and Country Coordinator; Dr. John Nichols – P. I., program management and strategy; Dr. Tim Schilling; Dr. Carl Shafer; Dr. Emerson Babb; Dr. Bishu Chatterjee; Dr. Barry Carr; Dr. Verne House; Mr. Jack Cocks. Later, Rosemary Veneziale, and Andrew Matestic joined.
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		Dr. Daniel Dunn started his activities in Armenia on October 26, 1999 as the Agribusiness Teaching Center Manager. Dr. Dunn did much for establishment and approval by the Armenian Agricultural Academy of an agribusiness curriculum, recruitment of students and faculty. In addition to his everyday professional management of the program, he taught financial management classes and monitored an English language summer program. Dr. Dunn developed relationship between the Georgian State Agrarian University and the AAA, which resulted in making the ATC a regional modern agribusiness school.
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		Dr. John Nichols at Texas A&M University worked closely with Dr. Dunn in selecting and getting new graduate students enrolled in U.S.universities. Dr. Nichols played a key role in assisting Dr. Dunn and the faculty to develop strategy, plan and make decisions on the primary education, maintain excellent cooperative relationships with the Armenian State Agrarian University, as well as develop regional cooperation program with agricultural universities in the Republic of Georgia.
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		At graduation ceremony for the second ATC class in 2003, Deputy Chief of Mission for the US Embassy in Armenia, Ms. Vivian Walker, acknowledged the class as "examples of Armenia's greatest natural resource for the future." *** In 2005 the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education was established to administer the ATC as well as research, outreach and career development activities.
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		On December 1, 2010 the ATC Master of Agribusiness program was launched. MAB is focused on agribusiness sector combining economic, business analysis and quantitative methods for managerial decision-making. Personal efforts by the RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch are much appreciated in making the MAB program possible as the next degree in quality agribusiness education.
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		Academic Program Review of the ATC by Dr. Kerry Litzenberg, Team Leader, Texas A&M University, Dr.Tony Dunne, University of Queensland, Dr. Chris Peterson, Michigan State University, and Dr. Allen Wysocki, University of Florida took place in May 2011. The Review Team conducted individual stakeholder interviews. The overall assessment of the Team was that the ATC has a unique and extraordinary agribusiness education program that serves the needs of many stakeholders in Armenia with a Western-based academic program. According to the Team, the USDA funding, Texas A&M administrative and curriculum support, Director Vardan Urutyan, and the dedicated faculty have been critical factors in ensuring the success of the agribusiness education program.