The number of YSMU Honorary Doctors of was replenished with two more leading specialists. Famous cardiovascular surgeon, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Bagrat Aleqyan and President of the ESBB (European, Middle Eastern & African Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking), the Founder and the Head of the Biobank of the University of Graz in Austria, Visiting Professor of YSMU Department of Medical Genetics, Expert of the EU ARICE Program Karine Sargsyan became Honorary Doctors of the 100-year-olduUniversity.
Before starting the event, YSMU Rector Armen Muradyan noted that, given the great loss of the university – the death of Professor of the Department of Histology Artashes Aznauryan, this event was held in a less formal atmosphere. He said that during the last conversation with Professor Aznauryan, already a renowned chairman of the Nomination Commission, the issue of conferring an honorary doctorate to Academician Aleqyan was discussed, and this is the unique case when Professor Aznauryan did not comply with his request. “We honor and care about our elder generation, about our teachers, because they are at the origins of the development of both the university and medicine, but, unfortunately, we have irreparable losses,” said Armen Muradyan, conveying the obligation to present the decision of the Nomination commission to the head of the Department of Medical Microbiology Vladimir Shekoyan, who is currently replacing Artashes Aznauryan.
Addressing Bagrat Aleqyan, Professor Shekoyan noted that they had known each other for decades, their fathers were also friends.
According to him, Bagrat Aleqyan's contribution to the development of medicine, can hardly be overestimated, and most importantly, he did not forget his native university, his teachers, maintaining strong ties and expanding partnerships.
“I am honored to be an Honorary Doctor from a university that I graduated from almost half a century – 48 years – ago. It is doubly pleasant to see professors who contributed to the formation of our university,” Academician Aleqyan emphasized, adding that he spent his interesting years at the Medical University.
Congratulating famous scientists and doctors in the library of the Defender of the Homeland Rehabilitation Center, YSMU Rector said: “Over the past five years, the Medical University has awarded this honorary title to many outstanding people, including 8 Nobel laureates. Honorary Doctors of YSMU are people who have contributed to the development of healthcare, medical science, people who are dedicated to the medical university with their activities.”
Introducing Karine Sargsyan, Rector Armen Muradyan emphasized: “Karine Sargsyan has created biobanks in leading European universities, founded the Faculty of Digital Medicine. There are not many specialists in this field in the world, and I am very pleased that one of them is a graduate of our university. Karine Sargsyan is a professor whose articles are published in the most prestigious journals in the world, she is also a WHO expert, and recently she became the head of one of the departments at UCLA.”
Expressing gratitude for conferring the title of Honorary Doctor of YSMU, Karine Sargsyan said: “At this university I learned to be a person, I learned sympathy, I learned to be a thinking doctor, I learned to be a research doctor, I learned to be a colleague. Medical University is my home, no matter where I am physically. I teach at 19 different universities around the world, from Qatar to the US, but here I am at home. Thanks for this”.
The event was also attended by renowned Russian doctors and scientists Zhanna Kobalava and Sergey Boytsov.
The meeting was held in a warm atmosphere.