YEREVAN — The Armenian government has approved the direct sale of a land parcel to the Gyumri Information Technologies Center educational foundation, paving the way for the implementation of the foundation’s charitable program.
Under the initiative, a Green Technology Hub educational center and six “Chillwithtech” technology lodging facilities will be constructed in the village of Marmashen, located in the Akhuryan community.
The facilities will be equipped with the necessary technology, computers, and innovative solutions and will be capable of accommodating up to 30 students at a time.
One of the foundation’s primary goals is to decentralize technological development by promoting education and creating employment opportunities in communities throughout the Shirak region.
After reviewing its programs, the foundation prioritized investments in educational initiatives focused on advanced engineering and manufacturing. Through these programs, high school students acquire combined skills in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and artificial intelligence in specially equipped engineering laboratories.
Engineering solutions developed at the hub by young people from rural communities, in cooperation with the center’s experts, will be applied in agriculture, tourism, and other sectors. The projects are also expected to promote environmental sustainability and contribute to a cleaner environment.
An investment of 100 million drams is planned over the next three years to implement the program. The initiative is also expected to lead to the establishment of five new start-up companies.
The program has received the approval of the Embassy of Japan in Armenia and has qualified for grant funding from the embassy. It is also being co-financed by the German development agency GIZ.
The deputy prime minister emphasized the importance of the government’s decision and stated that similar initiatives should be encouraged and supported.
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan said the program would expand opportunities for non-formal education.
According to the minister, formal education must be supplemented by non-formal educational environments because people learn not only at schools, colleges, and universities, but throughout their lives and in a variety of settings.
“Technology education has become a hallmark of our educational system. We have numerous successful examples of non-formal technology education that have generated considerable interest beyond Armenia,” Andreasyan said.
“These include TUMO and the Armath engineering laboratories, which operate in more than 600 schools and are successful examples of non-formal education. The Children of Armenia Fund, or COAF, has also generated similar interest,” she added.
