Testimonial by Xinyi Wei

PhD student, Princeton University, USA

6 weeks 2019 Persian Language Summer School

My summer with ASPIRANTUM’s Persian program has been a fun and productive experience.The classes and structure of our classes are very flexible. Dr. Vardan Voskanyan, our Persian instructor, is especially happy to include materials that we are interested in. In his classes, we read scholarly articles, short stories, poetry, and historical sources. He is also generous to give additional sessions to those interested in materials beyond the class schedule. For example, he has given extra lectures on the Shahnameh, Turkish loaned words from Persian, as well as in-depth discussion on primary sources such as Rashid al-Din. Moreover, Dr. Voskanyan is also an encouraging instructor. With an hour of speaking practice in class each day, I feel that my spoken-Persian has also improved. 

Yerevan as a location offers surprisingly more opportunity for me to practice speaking Persian than what I had previously imagined. During our visits to the Blue Mosque, my fellow participants and I met Iranians who were generous with their time to help us improve our speaking. These encounters also provide incentives for us to explore and enjoy the city.

The weekly activities that ASPIRANTUM organizes for us are the highlight of my summer. Khachik Gevorgyan, the director of the program, arranges all kinds of cultural activities that allow us to learn and enjoy the history and beauty of Armenia. Dr. Voskanyan also join us on these trips, making the outings a mobile classroom. 

Overall, I’ve truly enjoyed my summer with Aspirantum, and I am especially grateful for my fellow classmates who made it memorable.

Interested? Check Upcoming Persian Language Courses!


Our Persian language courses are open to anyone with upper elementary or intermediate knowledge of the Persian language. The lectures are organized with the academic interests of our participants in mind. Students as well as researchers working in Iranian Studies and relevant fields will benefit the most from our courses.

Check Upcoming Courses

Other Testimonials.

Anzhela Kayumova

MA student, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

“The Persian language summer school was not only very intense, informative and productive, but it was also an excellent event to expand the network of colleagues from different universities of the world, find new friends and travel to many wonderful sights of Armenia!”

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Michael Reeves

MA student, Georgetown University, USA

“My experience with ASPIRANTUM’s Persian language program was memorable because the support offered, the quality of instruction, and the connections I formed with classmates.”

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Robert Reasoner

BA student, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA

“The ASPIRANTUM Persian Summer School offers two great benefits: a world-class Persian program and an opportunity to experience the cultural and geographical richness of Armenia.”

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