Tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs begin with today’s education.
With this belief at the center, Keron Development Foundation, in partnership with Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, is implementing the large-scale transformation of the Yerevan State Medical University Library – turning the current 600 sq. m. space into a 3,000 sq. m. modern Educational Hub – research and collaborative environment for future doctors and healthcare professionals.
For more than a century, the YSMU Library has been one of the intellectual centers of Armenia’s leading medical university. It has served generations of students, doctors, researchers, professors, and healthcare professionals. Today, as medical education, research, and technology continue to evolve rapidly, the library is being reimagined to meet the needs of 21st-century healthcare education.
The future library will be more than a place for books. It will become a dynamic academic environment where students, faculty members, researchers, and healthcare professionals can study, collaborate, conduct research, access digital resources, exchange ideas, and develop the skills needed for modern medical practice.
The project includes open and closed reading halls, individual and group study areas, technology-enabled learning and research spaces, flexible zones for lectures and workshops, improved accessibility and inclusive infrastructure, modern furniture and equipment, digital educational resources, and a professional library management system.
Once completed, the renovated YSMU Library is expected to become an advanced Educational Hub in the region – a space designed to support learning, research, innovation, collaboration, and lifelong professional development.
International Architectural Expertise
The project is being developed with the involvement of the Dutch architectural firm Defesche van den Putte / DVDP, known for its experience in educational, scientific, cultural, and library spaces.
DVDP’s architectural vision redefines the role of a medical university library. Rather than approaching the library as a traditional reading space, the project treats it as a complete educational ecosystem – a place where architecture, technology, research, and human interaction come together to support academic excellence.
The design process has been shaped through close cooperation between Keron Development Foundation, YSMU, the architectural team, and construction partners. The concept takes into account the university’s academic needs, student flows, natural light, safety, comfort, accessibility, and the daily experience of students and faculty members.
The renovation works are already underway, with the architectural and technical teams continuing to coordinate the implementation process and ensure the quality of the project at every stage.
A Space for More Than tens of thousands of students, faculty members, researchers, and clinicians from Armenia and around the world
YSMU is home to a vibrant academic community of tens of thousands of students, faculty members, researchers, and clinicians from Armenia and around the world. As Armenia’s leading medical university and the country’s largest host of international students, the new concept is envisioned as a shared intellectual hub that will support learning, research, collaboration, and innovation across Armenia. The future doctors, researchers, dentists, pharmacists, scientists, and healthcare leaders will one day serve families, communities, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, research institutions, and healthcare systems in Armenia and beyond.
The importance of this project goes far beyond the university walls.
The quality of healthcare tomorrow depends on the quality of education we provide today. A modern medical library can strengthen the way future healthcare professionals learn, think, research, collaborate, and make decisions. It can support critical thinking, evidence-based learning, scientific inquiry, and interdisciplinary cooperation – all of which are essential for better healthcare outcomes.
By investing in this environment, we are investing in the people who will shape the future of healthcare.
A Multi-Stage Modernization Project
The full modernization of the YSMU Library is a huge initiative that will be implemented in carefully planned phases.
This large-scale project is designed to create a long-term educational and research infrastructure for YSMU and for Armenia’s broader healthcare ecosystem. It reflects the understanding that medical education requires not only strong academic programs, but also the right physical and technological environments where students and researchers can grow.
The renovated library will support generations of medical professionals and contribute to YSMU’s continued development as an internationally engaged medical university.
Fundraising Campaign
To bring this important vision closer to reality, Keron Development Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign. Now everyone can be part of this transformation by joining the fundraising campaign. Keron Development Foundation invites individuals, YSMU alumni, healthcare professionals, corporate partners, foundations, philanthropists, diaspora communities, and everyone who believes in the future of medical education to join the campaign.
For those interested in making an even greater impact and leaving a legacy in this historical transformation, there are partnership opportunities, including the naming of library spaces, reading halls, and other key areas, as well as tailored individual, corporate, and institutional partnerships designed around shared values and long-term collaboration.
Keron Foundation has also launched a fundraising campaign on the reArmenia platform to support one of the project’s key components – the creation of a state-of-the-art digital environment within the new Educational Hub. The campaign is dedicated to one specific and highly impactful component of the broader project: the renovation and full furnishing of the YSMU Library Computer Lab.
The Computer Lab will provide students with access to modern technologies, computer equipment, and digital educational resources. It will support study, research, data analysis, digital learning, and professional development, becoming an essential part of the future library’s academic and technological environment.
By focusing on this tangible component, the campaign allows every contribution to create visible and immediate results while also advancing the broader transformation of the library.
Every contribution matters.
By supporting the YSMU Library Computer Lab campaign, donors help create a modern educational environment where future doctors and healthcare professionals will study, research, collaborate, and prepare to serve patients and communities.
Throughout the campaign and implementation process, regular updates, milestones, and progress reports will be shared to ensure transparency and allow supporters to follow the impact of their contributions.
Call to action
Keron Foundation and the Yerevan State Medical University are inviting you to join the campaign funding a state-of-the-art Computer Lab at the YSMU Educational Hub.
