New for 2018-2019! Proposed projects include:
Wine - Recently Armenian Archeologists located the oldest evidence of wine making in the world, over 6000 years ago. Independent of the discovery of the first wine making, Armenia has seen a significant investment in wine making with several new vineyards/winemakers making high quality wines. One of the wines has been rated in the top 10 wines of the world. Even with the major investments, independent assessment of the wine quality and historical significance of Armenian wine, the industry is struggling to make it into the mainstream of wine consumers around the world. Yerevan State University is exploring the opportunity to establish a consortium of Armenian wine makers to conduct joint biological and winemaking research, education and training, marketing and distribution. Several IQP projects can be designed to help launch the consortium or support the program once it is underway. Winemaking in Armenia has the potential to produce many high quality jobs and make a significant impact on the overall economy of Armenia.
Tourism - Although the Armenian tourism industry is immature and unsophisticated it accounts for a very significant portion of its GDP. WPI has established relationships with the Smithsonian Institution through their MyArmenia Program and with the Ministry of Tourism for the Republic of Armenia. Each of these organizations has a mission to strengthen the capacity and offerings of local museums, archaeological sites, artisans and others to support Armenia’s cultural heritage and make them more economically sustainable. During E-term 2017 a team of WPI students conducted a project to drive more traffic to the Smithsonian MyArmenia Website and make the site more effective at informing visitors and inspiring them to travel to the country and specific tourist sites. Both of these sponsors have expressed an interest in having WPI students undertake similar projects to help them achieve their mission.