UWCD Students Encounter President of Germany in Dilijan
UWCD Students Encounter President of Germany in Dilijan

As part of their trip to Armenia, the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, visited Dilijan and strolled through Dilijan City Park, whose redevelopment and maintenance have been funded by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend, Co-Founders of UWC Dilijan.


During their visit, our students Jonas Borgemeister (Germany, UWCD'26), Zhixing (Dan) Song (China, UWCD'26), Mari-Elena Arutyunova (Russia, UWCD'25), and Amevi Kwidama (The Netherlands, UWCD'25) had the opportunity to engage in a brief exchange with President Steinmeier and Ms. Büdenbender, discussing UWC Dilijan, their international backgrounds, and the school’s mission to promote peace and a sustainable future.


Regretfully, President Steinmeier was not able to visit UWC Dilijan during this trip, but we hope to welcome him and Ms. Büdenbender to our campus in the future.

Photo credits: Bundesregierung/Marvin Ibo Güngör

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UWCD Students Encounter President of Germany in Dilijan
UWCD Students Encounter President of Germany in Dilijan

During their visit, our students Jonas Borgemeister (Germany, UWCD'26), Zhixing (Dan) Song (China, UWCD'26), Mari-Elena Arutyunova (Russia, UWCD'25), and Amevi Kwidama (The Netherlands, UWCD'25) had the opportunity to engage in a brief exchange with President Steinmeier and Ms. Büdenbender, discussing UWC Dilijan, their international backgrounds, and the school’s mission to promote peace and a sustainable future.

Supporters in Focus: Dilijazz Hotel, Art Lunch and Melante
  • Stories of Supporters
Supporters in Focus: Dilijazz Hotel, Art Lunch and Melante

We are grateful to Marianna Khachatryan & Grigori Zakaryan of Dilijazz Hotel, and to Bakur & Gayane Melkonyan of ArtLunch for supporting the TedXYouth event this year. We are also grateful to Melante for their significant in-kind support.

'For Ruben Vardanyan' a poem by Dan Silfwerin
'For Ruben Vardanyan' a poem by Dan Silfwerin

Dan Silfwerin, our Philosophy Teacher, has had no opportunity to meet Ruben Vardanyan, the UWCD co-founder, since he moved to Armenia in 2023. However, having followed Ruben’s fate, he was inspired to write a poem about him. Dan said, “I am making a parallel between Ruben and his namesake in the Bible, Jacob’s oldest son Ruben. When Ruben came to save Joseph from the well, he noticed that he was gone and screamed and tore his clothes. That sorrow is what I have drawn a parallel to.”