Testimonial by Anwar Omeish

I had an excellent time as a Persian summer school student at ASPIRANTUM. Not only was my professor extremely knowledgeable, but he was also so passionate about introducing us to the Persian language and culture. The different topics we focused on each week were incredibly useful, and I left each class with a significant amount of new vocabulary and expressions. The daily reading, speaking, and listening exercises played a huge role in making me feel more comfortable with Persian overall, and it was a great balance between Persian that is useful for academic contexts and Persian that is useful for more everyday contexts. I have left this class with a greater appreciation for modern Persian and a greater understanding of the history and culture that have shaped it.

My comments about Aspirantum would be incomplete without mentioning how beautiful and captivating Armenia itself is. It was the perfect backdrop to our summer program: while we learned Persian in our language classes, we learned about the shared history of this incredible region. The weekend trips were well-chosen and took us to some of the best tourist sites in Armenia, and independent wandering at the recommendation of the program teachers also led to a lot of great finds. I left Armenia with a great appreciation for Armenian history and culture, and I know the program would not have been the same anywhere else.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for Khachik and the other members of the ASPIRANTUM team. The summer school was well-organized and thoughtfully run, and the team was extremely helpful and extremely welcoming at all times. Throughout the program, I knew that they had my back. Their enthusiasm for the languages we studied, for teaching itself, and for welcoming us into Armenia was unparalleled. I would unequivocally recommend ASPIRANTUM to all those interested in Persian or Armenian culture!