UWC Dilijan College

UWC Dilijan College is the first international boarding school in Eastern Europe and CIS educating children from 72 countries. Moreover, this is the first project in Armenia certified under BREEAM green building standards.

The project was initiated by businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan and his wife Veronika Zonabend. The construction of the school was sponsored by over 200 donors. The list of UWC Dilijan College donors and founding partners includes Gagik Adibekyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RD Group Holding.

UWC Dilijan College project comprises two stages. The construction and finishing of Stage 1 were completed in the summer 2014. The area of 37 th. sq. m accommodates the main school building with classrooms, sports and health centres, a soccer field, a volleyball, basketball and tennis court, a student campus, a multi-purpose centre, etc.

Plans for Stage 2 envisage creation of a 650-seat concert hall, erection of residential buildings for faculty and students and of the acting centre, big common canteen that could accommodate all campus residents and comprehensive improvement of the extensive inner area. The cost of construction Stage 2 is estimated at $75 mln.

Construction works were performed in severe weather and hydrogeological conditions. RD Construction specialists implemented a package of measures to ensure seismic safety and protect the school against landslide developments. The school was built using ultra-modern materials and technologies that had not been used in Armenia before.

The Dilijan school makes part of the United World Colleges (UWC) international movement created in 1962 and uniting 17 educational institutions and about 60 thousand students worldwide. The list of UWC Presidents at different times includes Lord Mountbatten, Charles, Prince of Wales, Noor Al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan, statesman and public figure Nelson Mandela.