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The topic of the event is related neither to natural sciences, nor to social sciences, even though AUA might try to justify it with the slick argument of \u201cpromoting academic discussion on mining issues\u201d. This event is about public relations, misleading communities, and the babble called \u201ccorporate responsibility\u201d; in reality, it only serves to improve Lydian\u2019s suspicious reputation through the American University of Armenia and contributes to whitewashing the vast academic criticism<\/a> of the shortcomings of the environmental impact (especially the negative impact on water resources) of gold-mining in Alumsar. This kind of a meeting should rather be organised by Lydian in its own premises. Indeed, mining companies would be interested in replenishing their resources with new knowledge about a prattle called \u201cBeyond Zero Harm\u201d.<\/p>\n We strongly condemn AUA\u2019s partnership with any mining company or with quasi-academic-educational institutions associated with mining companies (we do remember that AUA\u2019s past invitations of representatives of different centers acting in Canadian and Australian universities and funded by mining corporations).<\/p>\n We call upon the students of AUA, and particularly those of Acopian Center for the Environment, to claim for active participation in the activities and decision-making of the university, to present their academic and public stances, to protect their professional spheres from appropriation my the private sector, to politicize the actions of the university\u2019s administration and faculty, as well as to bring the issue of their university\u2019s declining reputation to wide discussions.<\/p>\n