President receives students and schoolchildren – recipients of RA President’s IT Award for 2017

The Presidency hosted today a ceremonious event, during which the President handed educational awards in the sphere of information technologies to presidential award winners in different nominations.

Along with a certificate available for each category, the young participants received memorabilia and monetary awards. Serzh Sargsyan complemented the students and pupils who have shown outstanding academic performance and won this year’s educational awards, wishing that the award might be their first step on the way to even greater achievements.

This year, 26 students and 17 pupils from 6 higher educational institutions and 8 high schools were awarded the annual Presidential Award. So far, 452 students and pupils have been awarded the RA Presidential Educational Award in various nominations in the field of information technologies. The event was also attended by the girls’ team representing Vahan Tekeyan Secondary School in Karbi village, the winners of Technovation - the world’s largest technological contest for 10 to 18-year-old girls, who have authored the “Armenian Sign Language” mobile application in Education nomination. President Sargsyan congratulated them and offered various presents.

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President Serzh Sargsyan’s congratulatory remarks delivered at the Presidential Educational Award Ceremony

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear students and pupils,

I congratulate you on receiving the educational awards of the President of the Republic of Armenia in the field of Information Technologies.

I will not disclose a secret if I say that the development of information and telecommunication technologies has been in our focus for many years and is one of our priorities. One of its manifestations is this award, which holds youth’s interests in this sphere.

It is gratifying to see that your years-long efforts have yielded results. We can see new Armenian startups getting hold of a niche on the global marketplace.

The programs developed by our IT specialists are downloaded to tens of millions of people worldwide. We have many positive examples when the Armenian specialists have found unique solutions that are applied all over the world. In this area, we are moving forward at a fast pace. I am confident that in this way we can ensure sharp development and make progress in Armenia’s economic growth.

It is no secret that information and telecommunication technologies easily overcome borders and customs, even in the case of ill-willing neighbors’ closed borders. To make sure of this argument, suffice it to see how fast users in such countries download and use the applications created by Armenian specialists, such as the PixArt.

Let their governments continue with their policy of “strangling” us as long as they want. Owing to the efforts of our creative and talented youth, we can overcome the obstacles imposed.

Dear youth,

This award is not the only a tool for our country’s scientific and technological development. Over the past few years, we have come up with many similar initiatives. You are well aware of them, including Luys Foundation, Tumo Creative Technology Centers and more. The Science and Technology Foundation of Armenia, better known as FAST for the acronym of its English name, is coming up to supplement them. We encourage horizontal connections and cooperation between them. For instance, Luys Foundation went beyond its traditional terms of reference and acted as a co-founder for the new development program initiated by FAST.

All these tools are created for you, dear young people. You must take advantage of all the opportunities they offer. You must be brave and never be afraid to come up with new ideas and initiatives.

You should definitely try. Even if you fail in an initiative, never get discouraged. Try on, try again, and take a step halfway to success. Try to learn, improve, and success will not be late. It is my message to you and all your friends and peers.

Remember, very few people can boast a lightning stroke of success in the field of science and technology. Success comes through hard work and after several attempts.

We, the Armenian authorities and the representatives of our private sector, will always be with you to bring about progress and success.

Let these awards be your first step on the way to greater achievements. Once again, I congratulate you and wish you a bright and shining future.

Thank you.