Everything depends on our goals. In order to create the future, we need to understand what our heritage is, develop our heritage, create a new value system, and pass this new heritage on to the coming generations.
Convention Participant
It is not necessary to say that there is no trust; it is necessary to create structures that will support and contribute to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora trust.
Convention Participant
1. Education must be at the top of the political agenda, number one priority for the government
Organize high-level discussions with all the stakeholders (students, teachers, experts from all the sectors of economy )
2. We don't have an appropriate education system, creativity environment in schools, which creates uncertainty in education
3. Feedback loop is not working in education sector, problems are usually not reveled as a result of implemented research
4. We should start reforms in education sectors from two aspects: reforms in adults' education and in preprimary education
When children see adults that aren't learning, they don't want to learn as well
5. Governance in education should become a little bit psychological, like in business. Value the role of psychology in education
6. Educational reform can't be imported, it can be created and developed
7. Teacher attestation has one positive side – as a result, those who pass it will get higher salaries. This will also motivate those who start off their careers as teachers to aim for higher-paid jobs. On the other hand, the attestation system creates other, bigger scale problems: not necessarily all those who pass the attestation perform well as teachers in the classroom. So, what’s the index of a good teacher – we need to start from there. Additionaly, good test takers and subject experts are very different concepts
Serob Kh., Armenia
Նախաձեռնող
We must have an ideology, and we must create a mutually beneficial channel between Armenia and the Diaspora so that one can benefit from the other.
Convention Participant
I am sure biotechnology has been considered as one of the prospective directions for building the future in Armenia. I hope it would be possible to create a group that could connect scientists working in different universities and companies with scientists in Armenia to discuss what kind of help is needed and what can be built together.
Here is what I could bring to table:
Part of my job is to develop monoclonal antibodies for research and diagnostic purposes in medicine. I could help establish a similar laboratory that could serve the local needs, to start with.
Maybe some of the companies, producing commercial antibodies would choose to open an R&D and manufacturing laboratory in Armenia, if we have well trained personnel.
This might seem to be a very small-scale endeavor, but it will boost the research and clinical science.
Another suggestion is to create a group that would help connect local science to business. The potential of students in Armenia and abroad could be utilized. I have an idea of a project:
The copper mining is one of the major components of our industry. New, more eco-friendly methods of precipitating copper from ore are being utilized worldwide. Bioleaching is one of them; it is essentially using bacteria to precipitate copper (or other metals) from low metal containing ore. Usually, the companies patent the consortium of bacteria.
Scientists from ArmBiotechnology in Yerevan (please see the reference below) have isolated a consortium of bacteria from ore in Kapan that can efficiently be used for this purpose. We could use student engineers to create bioreactors for mining copper from leftover ore by bioleaching, thus employing local people and cleaning the environment.
Susanna B., USA/Armenia
Նախաձեռնող
A powerful Armenia needs a strategic and innovative development plan, an economic development plan. We need to develop and disseminate state ideology. We claim to have all these, but in reality we are strongly lacking in all three.
Convention Participant
I suggest that we as community come up with strategy initiatives, and give opportunity for the signatories to join the initiatives they can add value the most. During one of the calls with Ruben Vardanyan, he was mentioning the importance of having focus areas, which have the most potential to grow and develop in Armenia. I completely agree with his thinking and believe that The FUTURE ARMENIAN can start with a few focus industries, such as Tech, Education, Agritech, etc. Later, each industry will have separate initiatives which people can actively contribute to. This will not only help set actionable goals, but also will improve the sense of community. The signatories will get to know each other, work together, and hopefully even more people around the world will become signatories, as they will be able to come and contribute with something they are passionate about.
Suzie M., UK
Նախաձեռնող
It may be right for other nations not to think so much about national problems and live their own lives, but this does not work for us, because we are still under the threat of genocide.
Convention Participant
People spend a lot of time on YouTube and social networks, they should have options for something useful and interesting in Armenian:
1. There is no quality internet content in Armenian. We need good Armenian YouTube channels, especially something that will be interesting for children too. In its absence, children watch stupid Russian videos or any scam like that.
2. First step could be translating the best YouTube channels/TED talks into Armenian.
Vardan V., Armenia
Նախաձեռնող
Պետք է օրգանական կապ ստեղծել ՀՀ-ի և Սփյուռքի միջև։ Այս խնդիրները լուծելու համար պետք է լինեն մեխանիզմներ։ Կարելի է ստեղծել թեկուզ խորհրդատվական մարմին, որտեղ կպատասխանեն Հայաստանում բիզնես սկսող սփյուռքահայերի բոլոր հարցերին։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
Այս քննարկումները պետք է իրականացվեն մարզերում, որպեսզի հասկանանք մարզում բնակվողի խնդիրներն ու պատճառները։ Խնդիրները լուծելուց հետո մարզերում կավելանա ծնելիությունը, որը մեր ազգային անվտանգության խնդիր է։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
The problem in the Diaspora is that it is not a systematic, functioning structure. It is not a model. People are united in religious or political groups, but there should be a model that unites everyone regardless of those circumstances.