Armen Sarkissian: Time has come for the Armenian people to give rise to Noble Prize winners

Today, President Armen Sarkissian participated at the festive event at the A. Spendiarian Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

President Sarkissian made a statement and said in particular:

“I am truly honored to participate in the celebration of this jubilee because I consider myself first and foremost a member of the Armenian scientific society, i.e. one of you.
In the 20th century, the Soviet Union knew very well what the Armenian mind was, Armenian intellectual potential, and that was the reason that during the war the Academy of Sciences was established in Armenia which had become the driving force of our scientific mind.

I would like recall proudly the activities of all presidents of Armenia’s Academy of Sciences: the first and founding president, academician Hovsep Orbeli; Victor Hambardzumian, the academician, who raised the Academy to truly scientific heights; Fadey Sargsian, who preserved the Academy during the first years of independence, and certainly, the current president, academician Radik Martirossian.

The jubilee of the National Academy of Sciences is the best occasion to speak of science.

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to highlight some points which, in my opinion, are important for the National Academy. They pertain to the trends of the contemporary science and the development of existing traditions.

1. Ties with the former Soviet scientific centers: We should be able not only to preserve but to deepen the 75-year scientific traditions and ties with the scientists and research institutions of the former USSR area. It is necessary to develop all that because our scientific input to the Soviet science was very significant.

2. We need and have to expand the Academy’s relations with all international scientific and research centers: We should be part of international scientific processes, in line with the contemporary requirements. Cooperation should unfold around actual programs with all world centers – from America to China, from Russia to India, and it should be spearheaded at concrete targets and goals.

3. We need to bring together academic scientific power of Armenians from all over the world: It should be in the form of practical and efficient relations. The National Academy of Sciences must become the Pan-Armenian Academy, a Pan-Armenian, uniting scientific structure.

4. Fundamental and applied sciences are gradually merging: I have a personal example to prove it: Only weeks ago, I read with a great interest in Nature magazine an article dedicated to James Allison and Tasuku Honjo who this year have received Noble Prize for their discovery in the area of cancer therapy. It’s a wonderful discovery, but when you look into the history of the discovery, it’s not about two individuals at all but rather about huge, fundamental work of the last 50 years which resulted in multiple discoveries, ranging the discovery of T-cells up to the mechanisms of the immune system. As a result, there is a new medicine which, I believe, in the next couple of years will be available throughout the world. This is another example which proves the significance of fundamental sciences.

In general, science is a creative process. The results of today’s work may become visible and may be appreciated only years later. But the period of time from science to its applicability, again, gradually, each year becomes shorter. And I believe that everything should be done so that our fundamental science is aimed whenever possible at the creation of applicable results.

5. In the 21st century, everything is moving fast – changes, actions, and mentality: Borders between science, free and independent technical activities become closer. Science is also economy and business. And in the contemporary world, investments into science are done also to receive profit. Thus, when we speak about making the economy or the business environment attractive, we should also speak of making the corresponding scientific environment attractive too. With this regard, the advancement of the economic science in Armenia is important. We have brilliant examples of economic mind, it is necessary to apply them in the economy and make them known also abroad.

6. Attitude towards science should start at educational institutions: The educational structure, besides providing classical education, should also reveal the abilities of young people and connect them with their future scientific work. I believe the Academy itself should assist in training young scientific cadre which in the future will become part of the academic system. And in general, our scientific and educational system needs streamlining and integration.

7. We need to develop and deepen very attentively and with dedication research and studies in the areas of humanitarian sciences, arts, philosophy, history and especially in the Armenian Studies: Today we need to look even more deeply into our national identity, our genes, our language, our recognizability, our civilizational niche and role in the world. It would be impossible to build a mature, strong and competitive society and country without appreciating our entire civilizational past and designing our future accordingly.

8. Scientist is also a citizen: Scientist is also a citizen, an intellectual with his or her way of thinking, type, culture, mode of life, activity, and position. The great scientist, academician Sergei Hambardzumian’s proud and brave civil stance is unforgettable and manifested itself from day one of our national rebirth, in his speeches at the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union. Dedication to the citizen’s and the Armenian’s great calling of the President of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, National Hero of Armenia, world-famous scientist Victor Hambardzumian commands deep respect. We all remember his, two-times Hero of Socialist Work hunger strike in Moscow in support of Artsakh’s fight for freedom.

The scientist, the intellectual should be active not only in scientific or creative environment but also should manifest him or her as a principled citizen, simply must have a precise perception of moral and civil duty.

These are some points which I wanted to talk to you about. Of course, there is a need for discussions, so I am ready to meet with you in the future to continue our discourse. The future of our country will be inseparable from contemporary science, technologies, thus we have to realize unambiguously that in the 21st century we have a chance to become one of the most progressive, best countries of the world.
The National Academy of Sciences in the 21st century can and must become a distinct guarantor of our advancement.

The time has come for Armenians, for the Armenian nation to give rise to our own Noble Prize winners. I congratulate you once again on the occasion of this holiday, and I wish the scientific society good health, creative and continuous success.”